Michael Haneke won the prestigious Palme d'Or for the second time at this year's Cannes Film Festival, for his critically acclaimed movie 'Armour'. As the world's most coveted film festival draws to a close, attention now turns to next year's awards season, and specifically the Oscars.
In 2011, movies such as 'The Artist' and 'The Tree of Life' made a splash at Cannes and were subsequently rewarded with nominations at the major awards ceremonies, though the 2013 season still remains a mystery. Haneke's movie - about an elderly man who must care for his wife after she suffers a stroke - has been described as an exquisite piece of cinema, though whether it will attract the attention of the Academy remains to be seen. After winning the Palme d'Or in 2006 amidst overwhelmingly positive reviews, Haneke's movie 'The White Ribbon' received an Oscar nomination for 'Best Foreign Language Movie', though lost out to 'The Secret in Their Eyes'. According to the Los Angeles Times, Sony Pictures plan to release 'Armour' later this year in the hope of a major Oscar consideration, though it's likely that other Cannes favorites such as 'Cosmopolis' and 'Killing Them Softly' will perform better during awards season.
Born in Munich, Germany, Michael Haneke's made his feature film debut with 'The Seventh Continent' in 1989. As well as filmmaking, he also teaches direction at the Filmacademy in Vienna.