FALLEN LEAVES

Director: AKI KAURISMÄKI

2023, Finland, Germany, 81min.

Language: Finnish w/ English subtitles

Cast: ALMA PÖYSTI, JUSSI VATANEN, JANNE HYYTIÄINEN, NUPPU KOIVU

 

For most Cinestudio fans of international films, Leningrad Cowboys Go America was the first film from Finland that anyone had seen. Its mix of deadpan humor, Nordic minimalism, political consciousness and a rueful belief in humanity was dazzling. So it’s no surprise that Kaurismäki is now has become a bright light in cinema, with 20 films, numerous awards, and the appreciation of both critics and moviegoers around the globe. Fallen Leaves is set in Helsinki, where people existing on the edges of the middle class find it hard to navigate daily life. Two of these many unseen people are Holappa, a construction worker with a drinking problem, and Ansa, a recently fired supermarket cashier who longs for a meaningful connection. Together, they begin a playful, tender and unpredictable path to what could be love… And yes, like many of the Finnish master’s films, it features a scruffy dog with a loyal heart…Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2023 – it’s one of the best movies of the year.” David Sims, -The Atlantic