Hailed as the best-reviewed film of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival - where it topped Screen International’s prestigious critics’ poll - the beguiling new comedic romance from celebrated auteur Aki Kaurismäki (Le Havre, Drifting Clouds, The Other Side Of Hope) follows two lost souls who meet by chance in the Helsinki night and then try, in turbulent times, to find companionship.
Ansa (Alma Pöysti) works at a supermarket, where the job is so badly paid that she takes home expired sandwiches for dinner. Holappa (Jussi Vatanen) is a metalworker, labouring in a job so hazardous he’s sure it will kill him, so he drinks through the day, and then again at night. Meanwhile, the radio constantly carries news about the nearby war in Ukraine.
One evening, against his will, Holappa is dragged to a karaoke bar by a friend. “Tough guys don’t sing”, he says. But karaoke night is also a night for romance, and when Holappa meets the shy Ansa, there’s an immediate spark. But life being what it is, a variety of obstacles conspire to get in the way…
With his trademark deadpan humour, minimalist dialogue and retro aesthetic, Kaurismäki's latest delight showcases his unrivalled mastery for depicting down-on-their-luck characters in all their complexity, and finding humour and optimism in the unlikeliest of circumstances. In a time of economic disparity, war and uncertainty, FALLEN LEAVES is a valuable reminder of the importance of love and connection; once again Finland’s most-beloved director has delivered, in spades.
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 2024 ACADEMY AWARDS – Best International Feature (Finland)
2024 GOLDEN GLOBES NOMINEE (x2)- Best Actress (Pöysti), Best Intl Film
WINNER – 2023 CANNES FILM FESTIVAL – Jury Prize
WINNER – 2023 FIPRESCI GRAND PRIX (International Federation of Film Critics) – Best Film Of The Year
NOMINEE (x5!) – 2023 EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS – Best Film, Director, Actress, Actor & Screenwriter
"The best film of the year. A masterpiece... Sometimes small miracles appear in the form of movies. Kaurismäki works magic. "
- TIME MAGAZINE
"A gem."
- LIMELIGHT
"The year's most succinctly perfect film."
- LOS ANGELES TIMES
"Delightful. A tender, beautifully directed love story."
- THE NEW YORK TIMES
"Utterly delightful. The best big-screen romance of the year. The kind of movie that’s so charming, you want to run it back the moment it’s over."
- ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wednesday 14th February
81 min
M
Janne Hyytiäinen, Nuppu Koivu, Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen
Aki Kaurismäki
Dramedy
Finnish with English Subtitles
Pentridge Cinema, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Balwyn, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, The Kino, Palace Westgarth, Palace Norton Street, Palace Central, Palace Verona, The Chauvel Cinema, Palace Byron Bay, Palace James St, Palace Barracks, Palace Electric Cinema, Palace Raine Square
