Code Unknown

A FILM BY Michael Haneke

Awash in ravishing images ... that will haunt you long after you leave the theater.
- Ella Taylor, L.A. WEEKLY
Beautifully shot and acted, particularly by Juliette Binoche.
- Chris Vognar, DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Haneke draws a fresco of the modern occidental society, characterized by the linguistic Babel, the incapability to communicate, the coldness and the xenophobia. The film is strong, crystal clear, merciless.
- Il Corriere della Serra
Because Code Unknown was the most sensitive, the deepest, the most original, the least expected, the smartest, the best constructed, the most attractive, the most intense and dangerous for its lucidity from the films in competition, Michael Hanekes film deserved to be awarded the Palme dOr.
- Le Figaro
A must.
- Elvis Mitchell, NEW YORK TIMES

Synopsis

Paris. A very busy street. Someone throws a crumpled piece of paper into the outstretched hands of a beggar-woman. This is the bond which, for an instant, links the trajectories of several very different characters. Anne, a young actress, is on the threshold of making it in the cinema. Her boyfriend Georges, is a war photographer. He is rarely in France. His father is a farmer. Georges younger brother, Jean, has no interest in taking over the farm. Amadou is a music teacher in an institute for deaf-mute children. His father, a taxi driver, is originally from Africa. Amadou's little sister is deaf, she is the inspiration behind his profession. Maria comes from Romania and sends home the money she gets from begging. Having been deported, she goes back home to spend some time with her family before embarking on another humiliating journey to France. A single violent moment unites them and makes a splash that sends ripples throughout the rest of the film.

Theatrical Release Date

Original Languages: French
Genre: Drama, World Cinema
Running Time: 117 min.
Year: 2000

Credits

CAST
Juliette Binoche
DIRECTED BY
Michael Haneke