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On a Paris street, actress Anne (Binoche) buys a sandwich for Jean, the young brother of her boyfriend Georges (Neuvic), a war photographer away in Kosovo. After he’s finished eating, Jean casually drops the paper bag in the lap of Maria (Georghiu), a street beggar, outraging passer-by Amadou (Yenke), who demands an apology from Jean. The ensuing scuffle attracts the attention of the police: Amadou is arrested, Maria deported to Romania. The narrative follows each of the characters and stories, switching between Paris, rural France, Romania, and even further afield.

Filming the movie in various countries and in many different languages (French, Malinka, Romanian, German, English, Arabic, and International Sign Language), Haneke looks at a multitude of scenerios involving racism, ethnic hatred, economic divides, and the intangible way humans try to react to such occurrences.

BD50 + 2xDVD9 | 1080p AVC, NTSC | 01:57:18 | 44.3 Gb + 11.8 Gb
Language: Francais
Subtitles: English
Genre: Drama

Director: Michael Haneke
Cast: Juliette Binoche, Thierry Neuvic, Josef Bierbichler
Country: France, Austria, Romania

Extras:

• Introduction - a short video introduction by director Michael Haneke. In French, with optional English subtitles. (5 min, 1080i).

• Michael Haneke - in this brand new video interview, director Michael Haneke recalls his initial contact with Juliette Binoche after the premiere of Funny Games, how the idea for Code Unknown emerged and how Marin Karmitz from MK2 agreed to produce the film, and discusses the film's structure (and specifically the fragmentation of the narrative), the camera positioning and movement, the reality in which the main protagonists exist, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in Windigsteig, Austria, in August 2015. In German, not subtitled. (29 min, 1080p).

• Filming Haneke - this documentary takes a closer look at the production of Code Unknown. Included in are clips from interviews with producer Marin Karmitz, Juliette Binoche, and Michael Haneke, as well as plenty of raw footage from the shooting of three key sequences (two in Paris and one in Romania). he documentary was produced in 2000. In French and German, with optional English subtitles. (28 min, 1080i).

• Haneke on the Boulevard Sequences, March 2001 - in this video piece, director Michael Haneke discusses the nature of the boulevard sequences -- the main idea was that the camera could not move independently -- as well as their central role in the film. In German, with optional English subtitles. (12 min, 1080i).

• Roy Grundmann - in this brand new video interview, Roy Grundmann, editor of A Companion to Michael Haneke, discusses Michael Haneke's career and body of work, the evolution of its style, some of the key themes in his television films and theatrical films, the types of relationships that are depicted in his work, the use and role of television footage in his work, the director's relocation and work in France, Code Unknown and the fragmentation of its narrative, Juliette Binoche's character, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in Boston in August 2015. In English, not subtitled. (24 min, 1080p).

• Teasers - three teasers for Code Unknown.