Aki Kaurismaki’s ‘Fallen Leaves’ Debuts Trailer Ahead of Cannes Premiere, The Match Factory Reveals Sales

Sales agency The Match Factory is launching the trailer (below) of Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki’s “Fallen Leaves,” which will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in Competition.

This gentle tragicomedy is the fourth part of Kaurismäki’s working-class quartet, following “Shadows in Paradise,” “Ariel” and “The Match Factory Girl,” which The Match Factory, the company, is named after.

The film tells the story of two lonely people (played by Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen) who meet each other by chance in the Helsinki night. They then try to re-find each other: the first, only, and ultimate love of their lives. Their path toward this goal is clouded by the man’s alcoholism, lost phone numbers, not knowing each other’s names or addresses, and life’s tendency to place obstacles in the way of those seeking their happiness.

Ahead of the festival, The Match Factory has secured sales in several territories: France (Diaphana), Japan (Eurospace), Benelux (September Film), Baltics (A-One), Ex-Yugo (MCF), Greece (Cinobo), Hungary (Cirko), Israel (Lev), Portugal (Midas), Sweden (Folkets Bio) and Switzerland (Filmcoopi). Pandora Film is releasing the film in German cinemas and B-Plan Distribution in Finland.

The film is produced by Sputnik Oy and Bufo, and is a co-production of Pandora Film (Germany).

Cannes marks a record for The Match Factory of having a lineup with four titles in Competition. “Fallen Leaves” will play along with “Perfect Days” by Wim Wenders, “La Chimera” by Alice Rohrwacher and “Kidnapped” by Marco Bellocchio.

“Lost in the Night” by Amat Escalante plays in Premiere and “The Sweet East” by Sean Price Williams plays at Directors Fortnight.