'Amour' Director Michael Haneke Receives French Legion of Honor

9:15 AM PDT 10/15/2012 by Aurelie Godet

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Jean Louis Trintignant Emmanuelle Riva Amour First Look - H 2012

The Oscar hopeful received the honor with his producer Margaret Menegoz.

PARIS – The French presidency has awarded Austrian veteran filmmaker Michael Haneke its highest national honor, that of Knight of the French Legion of Honor.

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Haneke's long-time production partner Margaret Menegoz, who is also a former president of French film promotion group Unifrance, was made an Officer of the Legion of Honor in the same ceremony, held in Paris on Sunday.

Menegoz produced many of Haneke's best-known films, including the Palme d'Or winning and Oscar-nominated The White Ribbon and Amour, which won the Austrian director his second Palme in Cannes last May and is Austria's official nominee for the 2013 Oscar for best foreign language film.

France has long been a second home to Haneke, whose international breakthrough came with French-language features such as The Piano Teacher and Cache.

With the twin honors, French president Francois Hollande said he hope to “honor a producer and a director committed to the defense of independent cinema, which France tirelessly supports and promotes around the world."