Born in Austria in 1942, Michael Haneke studied philosophy, psychology and theatre. Between 1967 and 1970 he worked as a playwright at Sudwestfunk. Since 1970, as a freelance director and screenplay writer, he produced theatre productions in Germany and Vienna. In 1989, his debut The Seventh Continent brought him international acclaim and he became a sensation with Funny Games in 1997. In 2012, his latest film Amour won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival again.