Oscar-nominated director Michael Haneke directs Mozart opera

Michael Haneke's second directorial job on a full opera will premiere on Saturday, as Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte takes to the stage in Madrid.

A staging of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte directed by Oscar-nominated film director Michael Haneke is to debut on Saturday night in Madrid's Teatro Real. It is the second time the controversial Austrian filmmaker has directed a Mozart opera, having previously worked on a Paris production of Don Giovanni.



With the Oscars taking place on the following evening, where Haneke's latest film Amour is nominated for five awards, the premiere will be the beginning of a busy weekend for the director.



Talking to reporters in Madrid, Haneke commented: "I don't much like talking about opera. I prefer to talk about my films. I see myself more as a film director." He also commented on his nervousness about tackling another opera: "After Don Giovanni I received about 15 offers to direct operas but I rejected them all because I didn't think I was the right person to do them."



Amour is nominated in the best film, best director, best actress, best script and best foreign film categories.