Fallen Leaves

Kuolleet Lehdet

64th TIFF: Greek Premiere

Fallen Leaves is a heartwarming tale of love, hope, mutual respect, and solidarity, stemming from the tender and unconventional world of the renowned cinematic humanist, Aki Kaurismäki. One night in Helsinki, two solitary individuals serendipitously cross paths and discover the magic of being “together,” while pursuing their first, ultimate, and singular love. With a romantic touch yet deeply rooted in reality, Fallen Leaves envelops you like a soft blanket in the autumn chill and reminds you of the value of humanity, empathy, and the beauty of simplicity. Aki Kaurismäki's cinema, with its urban nightscapes and “offbeat” music, its idiosyncratic Scandinavian humor, delightful self-deprecation, and quirky heroes fumbling awkwardly in search of human warmth and connection, serves as the ideal refuge when harsh reality feels insurmountable.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Aki Kaurismäki
Script: Aki Kaurismäki
Cinematography: Timo Salminen
Editing: Samu Heikkilä
Sound: Pietu Korhonen
Actors: Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, Alina Tomnikov, Janne Hyytiäinen, Nuppu Koivu, Martti Suosalo
Production: Sputnik Oy, Oy Bufo Oy
Producers: Aki Kaurismäki, Misha Jaari, Mark Lwoff
Costumes: Tiina Kaukanen
Production Design: Ville Grönroos
Format: DCP
Color: Color
Production Country: Finland
Production Year: 2023
Duration: 81'
Distribution in Greece: Cinobo
Contact: The Match Factory
Awards/Distinctions: Jury Prize – Cannes Film Festival 2023, Audience Award – Munich Film Festival 2023, FIPRESCI Film of the Year Award – San Sebastián IFF 2023, Adolph Zukor Prize (Jameson CineFest) – Miskolc IFF 2023

Aki Kaurismäki

Kaurismaki began receiving international recognition in the late 1980s. His output has ranged from wacky, comic-book-style adventures (Calamari Union [1985], Leningrad Cowboys Go America [1989]) to revisionist adaptations of literary classics (Crime and Punishment [1983], Hamlet Goes Business [1987]), and he has proved himself adept at combining gritty, noir-ish realism with sly, sardonic humor (Ariel [1988]). Kaurismaki's minimalist style, prolific output, and taste for wry melodrama have invited comparisons with filmmakers such as R.W. Fassbinder and Jim Jarmusch.

Filmography

1981 The Saimaa Gesture (doc)
1985 Calamari Union
1987 Hamlet Goes Business
1989 Leningrad Cowboys Go America
1992 The Bohemian Life
1999 Juha
2006 Lights in the Dusk
2011 Le Havre
2017 The Other Side of Hope
2023 Fallen Leaves