Code inconnu: Récit incomplet de divers voyages (2000)

Director:

Michael Haneke

Writer:

Michael Haneke (writer)

Release Date:

15 November 2000 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Love has a language all its own

Plot:

Jean, a farm lad, wants to escape his silent father; he runs to Paris to his older brother, Georges...

Plot Keywords:

Beggar | Play | Farm | Police | Gypsy

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Juliette Binoche	...	Anne Laurent
Thierry Neuvic	...	Georges
Josef Bierbichler	...	The Farmer (as Sepp Bierbichler)
Alexandre Hamidi	...	Jean
Maimouna Hélène Diarra	...	Aminate
Ona Lu Yenke	...	Amadou
Djibril Kouyaté	...	The Father
Luminita Gheorghiu	...	Maria
Crenguta Hariton	...	Irina (as Crenguta Hariton Stoica)
Bob Nicolescu	...	Dragos
Bruno Todeschini	...	Pierre
Paulus Manker	...	Perrin
Didier Flamand	...	The Director
Walid Afkir	...	The Young Arab (as Walide Afkir)
Maurice Bénichou	...	The Old Arab
Carlo Brandt	...	Henri
Philippe Demarle	...	Paul
Marc Duret	...	The Policeman
Arsinée Khanjian	...	Francine
Florence Loiret	...	Amadou's Friend
Nathalie Richard	...	Mathilde
Andrée Tainsy	...	Mrs. Becker
Elisabeth Marceul	...	Child
Melissande Zeddam	...	Child
Brandon Croteau	...	Child
Sonia Chauvelin	...	Child
Baptiste Gintzburger-Batle	...	Child
Sarah Agogue Tasse	...	Child
Alexandra Croteau	...	Child
Jerome Ferreira	...	Child
Melanie Lhote	...	Child
José Marques	...	Child
Guessi Diakite-Goumdo	...	Salimata
Jean-Yves Chatelais	...	Shop Owner
Laurent Suire	...	Policeman
Féodor Atkine	...	Man in Taxi (voice)
Malick Bowens	...	Witch Doctor
Ioan Marian Boris	...	Nicu
Monica Popa	...	Nuta
Ada Navrot	...	Florica
Giba Gonçalves	...	Percussion Teacher
Dominique Douret	...	David
Tsuyu Shimizu	...	David's Friend (as Tsuyu Bridwell)
Antoine Mathieu	...	Restaurant Waiter
Constantin Barbulescu	...	Mihai Popa
Domeke Meite	...	Demba
Marany Fofana	...	Youssouf's Sister
Aïssa Maïga	...	Black Girl with Blonde Hair
Costel Cascaval	...	Man in the Garden
Sandu Mihai Gruia	...	Group Leader
Daniel Dublet	...	Uncle
Boris Napes	...	Father in Cemetery
Isabelle Pietra	...	Mother in Cemetery
Cristina Ioanidis	...	Tatiana
Ion Haiduc	...	Man in Squat
Guillaume Morvilliers	...	Pierrot
Pascal Loison	...	Jolly Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jeff Cullen	...	Character portrayal
Irina Lubtchansky	...	Camera Assistant

Directed by
Michael Haneke

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael Haneke		writer

Produced by
Yvon Crenn	....	executive producer
Christoph Holch	....	co-producer: ZDF
Marin Karmitz	....	producer
Thilo Kleine	....	co-producer: Bavaria Film
Titi Popescu	....	co-producer: Filmex
Alain Sarde	....	producer
Michael Weber	....	co-producer: Bavaria Film

Original Music by
Giba Gonçalves

Cinematography by
Jürgen Jürges

Film Editing by
Karin Hartusch
Nadine Muse
Andreas Prochaska

Casting by
Kris Portier de Bellair

Production Design by
Emmanuel de Chauvigny

Set Decoration by
Laurence Vendroux

Costume Design by
Françoise Clavel
Gloria Papura

Makeup Department
Isabelle Luzet	....	key hair stylist
Thi-Loan Nguyen	....	key makeup artist
Ion Toma	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Bruno Bernard	....	unit production manager
David Crenn	....	assistant unit manager
Diona Dragnea	....	production manager: Romania (as Doina Dragnea)
Manuel Recolin	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Melia Cerchez Anghel	....	assistant director: Romania
Denis Imbert	....	assistant director
Arnaud Mathey-Dreyfus	....	assistant director
Virgil Nicolaescu	....	second assistant director
Alain Olivieri	....	first assistant director
Joseph Rapp	....	assistant director
Dorel Torcatoru	....	assistant director: Romania
Gaëlle Tronquit	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
Véronique Barnéoud	....	first assistant art director
Gabriel Bucur	....	assistant decorator: Romania
Bernard Chenevier	....	construction manager
Yann Dury	....	carpenter
Corinne Martin	....	painter
Calin Papura	....	set decorator: Romania
Thomas Pitre	....	property master
Olivier Prost	....	assistant decorator
Jean-Luc Schwarz	....	key painter
Vlad Teodor	....	assistant decorator: Romania
Annie Tourriol	....	assistant decorator
Ion Vasilescu	....	assistant decorator: Romania
Laurence Vendroux	....	construction manager
Wouter Zoon	....	property master

Sound Department
Edouard d'Heucqueville	....	sound mix technician
Dominique Eyraud	....	boom operator
Eric Ferret	....	sound mixer
Judith Guittier	....	assistant foley artist
Jean-Pierre Laforce	....	sound mixer
Lionel Lebras	....	boom operator: post-synchronisation
Laurent Lévy	....	sound effects editor
Nadine Muse	....	sound editor
Guillaume Sciama	....	sound engineer

Special Effects by
Séverine De Wever	....	production coordinator
Pierre Foury	....	special effects
Daniel Lenoir	....	special effects
Benoît Squizzato	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Olivier Poujaud	....	digital compositor
Antoine Simkine	....	visual effects executive producer: Duboi
Daniel Trujillo	....	digital artist

Camera and Electrical Department
André Atellian	....	key grip (as Andre Attelian)
Sandel Bacalu	....	gaffer: Romania
Frédéric Batier	....	second assistant camera
Benoît Bayle	....	grip
Marion Befve	....	second assistant camera
Guy Bordet	....	electrician
Carlos Cabeceran	....	Steadicam operator
Olivier Cazzitti	....	gaffer
Marian Ene	....	grip: Romania
Nicolae Geoana	....	electrician: Romania
Jim Howe	....	gaffer
Jean-Bernard Josko	....	grip
Irina Lubtchansky	....	first assistant camera
Jérémie Nassif	....	still photographer
Florin Nicolae	....	electrician: Romania
George Nicolae	....	electrician: Romania
Gérard Rival	....	grip
Marian Sandor	....	second assistant camera: Romania
Joel Spinola	....	electrician (as Joël Spinola)

Casting Department
Carmen Brezeanu	....	extras casting: Romania
Melia Cerchez	....	casting: Romania
Claire-Marie Cuvilly-Givert	....	extras casting
Evy Figliolini	....	extras casting
Valérie Flan	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Adina Bucur	....	costumer: Romania
Germaine Ribel	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Yannick Coutheron	....	assistant editor
Pierre Réali	....	color timer

Other crew
Razvan Constantinescu	....	general administrator: Romania
Aline Corneille	....	production secretary
Mariana Costea	....	production assistant: Romania
Eric Dupressoir	....	groupman
Greg Engler	....	location consultant: pre-production
Mathilde Incerti	....	press attache
Nathalie Kreuther	....	production assistant
Lina Martins	....	assistant: Juliette Binoche
Chloé Perlemuter	....	script supervisor
Gisèle Vuillaume	....	production administrator

Production Companies

• Bavaria Film
• Canal+
• Filmex
• France 2 Cinéma
• Les Films Alain Sarde
• MK2 Productions
• Romanian Culture Ministry
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)
• arte France Cinéma

Distributors

• Atalanta Filmes (2001) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Leisure Time Features (2001) (USA) (theatrical)
• MK2 Éditions (2001) (France) (DVD)
• Kino International (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• BIM Distribuzione (????) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• MK2 Diffusion (????) (France) (theatrical)
• Prokino Filmverleih (????) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Vértigo Films (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye
• Homescreen (2001) (Netherlands) (video)
• Homescreen (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Mongrel Media (Canada)

Also Known As:

Cod Necunoscut (Romania)
Code - Unbekannt (Germany)
Code Unknown (Canada: English title)
Code Unknown: Incomplete Tales of Several Journeys (International: English title)
Code inconnu (France) (short title)
Projet inconnu (France) (working title)

Runtime:

France:118 min | Netherlands:117 min

Country:

France | Germany | Romania

Language:

Malinka | Romanian | French | German | English | Arabic | French Sign Language

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Italy:T | Norway:11 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Mali

Company:

Bavaria Film

Trivia:

Michael Haneke began the project when Juliette Binoche wrote to him expressing an interest in working with him.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 24 Wirklichkeiten in der Sekunde (2005)

A Fascinating Exploration of Communication Across Race, Class, Gender, Ages, Geography and Senses

"Unknown Code: Incomplete Tales of Several Journeys (Code inconnu: Récit incomplet de divers voyages)" is a fascinating exploration of communication, using all the elements of film to create a trompe l'oeil of sight, sound and character interactions.

We see extended vignettes of people tangentially related through an accidental intersection in Paris. In a brief interview on the Sundance Channel, where I viewed the film, writer/director Michael Haneke said he specifically selected Paris because it is one of the few European cities whose multiculturalism is so visible. We see here how it attracts immigrants not only as traditionally from the rural countryside, but now from Eastern Europe and Africa.

Though not as violent as the incidents in "Amores perros", released the same year, or the later "Crash," the unsettling confrontation influences the characters' perceptions, of each other and of authority figures. We see them made sensitive to how people look, how people talk to each other, the sounds they make, and, even more importantly, shades how they interact. We see how differently people communicate with their own families, with their friends, their parents, their children, their colleagues, their lovers or their advisers, particularly through simple life cycle events.

Sometimes Michael Haneke toys with us, as the camera moves back and reveals that a poignant situation isn't as dire as we thought, particularly playing on the terrific Juliette Binoche's well-known image as a beautiful actress (and yes, she does look beautiful even standing around in lingerie ironing while watching TV). Or he plays ironic tricks – having deaf kids do emotional charades or perform in a marching drum band or creating ambiguity about a door entry code to reinforce a theme of restless homelessness. We see lovers who communicate passionately without words, in one lovely scene even without touching. (I wonder if this scene with these two inspired a related scene in Rodrigo García's recent "Nine Lives.")

One key character is a self-righteous photojournalist (really stereotypically portrayed by bearded, hunky, disheveled Thierry Neuvic in a multi-pocketed vest with an ever-present camera around his neck) documenting ethnic cleansing in Kosovo or taking candid portraits of unaware subway passengers. But he is helpless at assisting his rebellious teen brother or sullen farmer father or estranged young son. Issues of responsibility to neighbors and passersby is viscerally shown to be not the extreme goal of stopping genocide, but rather providing dignity to a fellow human being or simply listening to what's happening next door and acting on it.

Haneke provides sympathetic insight into the inner lives of African immigrants, with an ear to how happenings look different to Western rationalists than to those used to revelations of divine and interpretive meanings, particularly in dreams, or sense of time.

But while he is very sympathetic to the pushes and pulls of immigration that change people's place in society from matriarch to "the gypsy" as the universal "other" who everyone higher up in society puts down, the family scenes in the Romanian village are more stereotyped, with ethnic wedding dancing.

Haneke's disarmingly passive style, with almost no music or cinematic affectations (he even mocks his Dogme-style use of sound by showing actors in the film-within-a-film re-dubbing dialog lost to a passing airplane) does make us feel like voyeurs, with each vignette constructed in a single take. In the filmed interview he said the key opening scene took 32 takes before he was satisfied.