LOS ANGELES — There are two types of cinephiles in the world. Aki Kaurismäki fans and future Aki Kaurismäki fans.
Alma Poisti and Jussi Vatanen, the Finnish stars of his latest film, the tragicomic romance Fallen Leaves, meet both of them during a whirlwind tour of the United States in the midst of Hollywood awards season.
In just a few days, they attended the Golden Globe Awards, where both the film and Poisty were nominated, and the news that the National Society of Film Critics had chosen Fallen Leaves as the best non-English speaking film. I learned. If it’s chosen as language film of the year, it will take a short detour to San Francisco for a screening and return to Los Angeles in time for the Governors Awards.
Vatanen said in a joint interview with Poisti earlier this week that he was running out of superlatives to describe the experience, but both agreed it was “overwhelming.” .
The film follows Ansa and Horappa, two working-class loners in Helsinki, who meet at a karaoke bar and deal with lack of connection, lost phone numbers, general awkwardness, midlife loneliness, and other obstacles. Regardless, this is a story about embarking on a romance. true love. Its deadpan charm transcends cultures and brings new attention and appreciation to Kaurismäki’s 20 films. Even if he himself avoided the press and the spotlight. Therefore, actors become the messengers of cinema. But that’s the opposite of a hassle, it’s a privilege.
“This film brings joy, hope and comfort to people,” Vatanen said. “It’s great to be that ambassador.”
Poisti said she was jealous of the people who discovered Finland’s most famous director through “Fallen Leaves.”
“They have so many great things to discover,” she said. “His humor captivates you no matter your age, where you’re from, or what language you speak. And being able to do that is a true gift. Humor is one of the most difficult things to translate to different cultures. But Aki expresses that very uniquely and beautifully. But his deep humanism is also at the heart of it all.”
You also don’t need a specialized video store to access his films. The Criterion Channel is currently streaming 15 of his Kaurismäki films, including the so-called Proletariat Trilogy (Shadows in Paradise, Arial, Match Factory Girl). ), “Fallen Leaves” fits in nicely, as do “Le Havre” and “The Other Side of Hope.” “Fallen Leaves” will also be streamed on MUBI starting January 19th.
Vatanen and Poisti grew up under the influence of Kaurismäki, who helped build a film-going culture in Finland that included not only Kaurismäki’s films, but also festivals, theaters, and “spaces where people gathered around movies,” Poisti said. Told. The chance to actually appear in his films was something neither of them took for granted.
“He is truly a master of Finnish cinema,” Vatanen said. “To have the chance to work with him is like a dream because it felt so far away.”
Fallen Leaves is a movie for die-hard movie buffs, with references to Jim Jarmusch, David Lean, and Charlie Chaplin. Ansa and Kholappa’s movie date is “The Dead Don’t Die,” and many scenes also have movie posters in the background, which don’t stop even when the cameras stop.
“On set, it was like an endless movie quiz. There was no hope of beating Aki in terms of movie knowledge,” Vatanen said.
Poisti added that the filmmakers “intensely” discussed the choice of poster.
They’ve been showing “Fallen Leaves” off and on for almost a year, from its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival to its theatrical release at the New York Film Festival and around the world. And now they’re in the hustle and bustle of Oscar season. “Fallen Leaves” is on Finland’s shortlist for Best International Feature Film. But they don’t want to talk about that possibility yet until candidates are announced on January 23rd.
“We don’t want to jinx anything,” Poisti said.
And while he enjoys talking about the film anyway, Poisty prefers to call it “salty” rather than “a sweet love story.”
“They live a very tough life. But humor somehow gets them through the day,” she said. “And they’re by no means dating experts. They’re probably acting like how you should be on a date. But I think neither of them have probably ever been on a date.”
Vatanen adds, “It’s like reading the dating handbook: Get her coffee, then invite her out for a movie and maybe dinner.”
One thing they don’t ask each other is names. Vatanen, who is from Finland, said that’s actually not the craziest thing. Finns, he says, are “a bunch of silent Europeans.”
“Not having all the information right away can be cheating. You have to get it somehow,” Poisti added. “And they’re very shy. Saying their name can be very, very vulnerable.”
And they enjoy hearing everyone’s reactions to “Fallen Leaves” at screenings around the world and knowing that people will leave the movie feeling hopeful.
“I like the fact that this is just a little love story,” Vatanen said. “It’s not masked by anything. It’s a simple emotion, a simple humanity, and yet I think that’s probably what touches people.”
They even got a few precious hours of downtime one day during their trip. Naturally, they went to the movies. A retrospective screening of Robert Altman’s “The Long Goodbye” was held at the New Beverly Cinema. In the land of movie stars, they expected to keep a low profile. But to their surprise, some movie fans recognized them and wanted to talk about Kaurismäki and Fallen Leaves.
“It was absolutely crazy,” Vatanen said.