One of the great directors working today, Aki Kaurismäki, is returning with his first film since 2017’s The Other Side of Hope. Fallen Leaves, the latest work from the Finnish director, will premiere in competition at Cannes Film Festival this month and now The Match Factory has debuted the first trailer as sales kick off. Described as a “gentle tragicomedy,” it marks the fourth part of Kaurismäki’s working-class trilogy, following Shadows in Paradise, Ariel, and The Match Factory Girl.
Here’s the synopsis: “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 honorable 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.”
Starring Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen, some influences were also teased by the producers: “With this film, Kaurismäki tips his hat to Bresson, Ozu and Chaplin, wanting to tell a story about the things that may lead humanity to a future: longing for love, solidarity, hope, and respect for another human being, nature and anything living or dead.”
Watch the trailer below.
Fallen Leaves premieres in competition at Cannes Film Festival.