Der Siebente Kontinent

Haneke’s first feature film for theatrical release, “Der Siebente Kontinent” (“The Seventh Continent”) was well received at its 1989 premiere in Cannes “Quinzaine des Réalisateurs” section. “Der Siebente Kontinent” is the opening piece of Haneke’s “Trilogie der emotionalen Vereisung”, or “trilogy of an icing up of emotions”, preceding “Benny’s Video” and “71 Fragmente einer Chronologie des Zufalls” (“71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance”). A family enjoys a career climb, but also experiences the constrictions associated with it. They make plans for major changes and meticulous preparations for key steps in carrying them out. However, their seventh continent and land of new opportunities is not Australia. While the family does indeed plan to drop out, their destination lies elsewhere. Long thwarted in its expectations, the audience finally comes to realize the family’s actual intentions. The film ends with a metaphor: white noise on a television screen.