The Piano Teacher
Also known as Piano Teacher, La Pianiste
2001 film directed by Michael Haneke
Film · TMDB
7.3Erika Kohut, a sexually repressed piano teacher living with her domineering mother, meets a young man who starts romantically pursuing her.
Released: 2001-09-05131 minDir: Michael HanekeDrama, RomanceBudget: $6.2MBox office: $6.8M
▶ Watch trailerStream on: Criterion Channel, HBO Max
Cast
- Isabelle Huppert as Erika Kohut
- Annie Girardot as Erika's Mother
- Benoît Magimel as Walter Klemmer
- Susanne Lothar as Mme Schober
- Udo Samel as Dr. George Blonskij
- Anna Sigalevitch as Anna Schober
Themes
- concert
Article
The Piano Teacher (French: La Pianiste, lit. 'The (Female) Pianist') is a 2001 erotic psychological drama film written and directed by Michael Haneke, based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Elfriede Jelinek. It tells the story of an unmarried piano teacher (Isabelle Huppert) at a Vienna conservatory, living with her mother (Annie Girardot) in a state of emotional and sexual disequilibrium, who enters into a sadomasochistic relationship with her student (Benoît Magimel). A co-production between France and Austria, Haneke was given the opportunity to direct after previous attempts to adapt the novel by filmmakers Valie Export and Paulus Manker failed for financial reasons.
At the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, it won the Grand Prix, and the two leads, Huppert and Magimel, won Best Actress and Best Actor, respectively. It went on to receive positive reviews and other awards and nominations.