FALLEN LEAVES
2023 - 82 MINUTES - FINLAND/ GERMANY - 1.85:1 - 5.1
A FILM BY AKI KAURISMÄKI
Winner! “BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE” - Toronto Film Critics Association 2023
Fallen Leaves tells the story of two lonely people (Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen) who meet each other by chance in the Helsinki night and try to find the first, only, and ultimate love of their lives.
Their path towards this honourable goal is clouded by the man’s alcoholism, lost phone numbers, not knowing each other’s names or addresses, and life’s general tendency to place obstacles in the way of those seeking their happiness.
This gentle tragicomedy, previously thought to be lost, is the fourth part of Aki Kaurismäki’s working-class trilogy (Shadows in Paradise, Ariel, and The Match Factory Girl).
““Fallen Leaves,” short, sweet and utterly delightful, is the kind of movie that’s so charming, you want to run it back the moment it’s over.” - Toronto Star
“the sweetest surprise of the year” - Globe and Mail
“'Fallen Leaves' is deadpan nirvana“ - Toronto Star
“a wonderfully depressing movie with a feel-good atmosphere. I love this movie.” - Cultural Mining
“wickedly offbeat and deliciously charming love story“ - That Shelf
“A Must-See Comedy About Miserable People Looking for Love“ - The Atlantic
4 Stars! - “What constitutes a perfect film? A perfect film doesn’t have to be in any particular genre, in any event. A perfect film knows what it’s about, knows what it wants to say, and knows that even when what it has to say is unusually simple, what it says can’t be reduced to words or any form of description apart from the thing itself. Which means that a perfect film has to be seen in order for its perfection to be appreciated.“ - RogerEbert
“A Quiet Masterpiece About Tenderness in a Cold World” - Time
“Fallen Leaves Actor Alma Pöysti on Her Finnish Romantic Comedy That’s More Salt Than Sugar” - Vogue (Interview)
“Finland’s Oscar Submission Is a Love Story Like No Other” - Collider
Grade A! - “Kaurismäki’s Latest Dry Comedy is 'Chaplin-esque,' But Not The Way You Might Think“ - Original CIN
“Fallen Leaves brilliantly taps into a feeling that humanity is sleepwalking into an historic decline, as seen through the eyes of two people who convey a sense of lonely resignation. “ - The Gate
“: he’s the Buster Keaton of contemporary art house cinema—and behind his façade of indifference lurks a very human heart.“ - Classical FM
“charming“ - National Observer
“a surprising crowd-pleaser from a minimalist master” - Night Vision
“a remarkably subtle cinematic work” - What She Said