Fallen Leaves (film)

Fallen Leaves
Theatrical release poster
FinnishKuolleet lehdet
LiterallyDead Leaves
Directed byAki Kaurismäki
Written byAki Kaurismäki
Produced by
  • Misha Jaari[1]
  • Aki Kaurismäki[1]
  • Mark Lwoff[1]
Starring
CinematographyTimo Salminen
Edited bySamu Heikkilä[2]
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • B-Plan Distribution (Finland)
  • Pandora Film (Germany)
Release dates
  • 22 May 2023 (2023-05-22) (Cannes)
  • 14 September 2023 (2023-09-14) (Germany)
  • 15 September 2023 (2023-09-15) (Finland)
Running time
81 minutes[2]
Countries
  • Finland
  • Germany
LanguageFinnish
Budget€1.4 million[3]
Box officeUS$8.6 million[4][5]

Fallen Leaves (Finnish: Kuolleet lehdet, lit. 'Dead Leaves') is a 2023 romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Aki Kaurismäki.[6] It is Kaurismäki's 20th full-length film and a continuation of his Proletariat series, which was originally planned as a trilogy and already includes Shadows in Paradise (1986), Ariel (1988), and The Match Factory Girl (1990).[7][8] Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen star in the main roles. The film is produced by Sputnik and Bufo.[6]

The film premiered on 22 May 2023 at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, and was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in its main competition section, where it won the Jury Prize. It was released in Finland on 15 September 2023. It received critical acclaim and was named one of the top five international films of 2023 by the National Board of Review. The film was chosen as the Finnish entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards,[9][10] and was one of the 15 finalist films in the December shortlist.[11]

  1. ^ a b c Gleiberman, Owen (23 May 2023). "'Fallen Leaves' Review: Aki Kaurismäki Stages a Tiny Sliver of a Romance in a Quirky Finnish Kaurismäki Land That Hasn't Changed in 30 Years". Variety. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Kuolleet lehdet". Festival de Cannes. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  3. ^ Jutila, Niko (18 September 2023). "Kuolleet lehdet on matkalla Aki Kaurismäen katsotuimmaksi elokuvaksi – Venetsian aaveet oli kolmanneksi katsotuin". Elokuvauutiset.fi (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Kuolleet lehdet (2023)". The Numbers. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  5. ^ "Fallen Leaves (2023)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  6. ^ a b B-Plan Distributionin tiedote (10 June 2022). "Aki Kaurismäki ohjaa työläistrilogiansa neljännen osan". Filmikamari (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 9 June 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Köyhät luuserit paremman maailman haussa – Kaurismäen työläistrilogia on ihmisyyden asialla" (in Finnish). Yle. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  8. ^ Pham, Annika (24 May 2023). "Kaurismäki about war in Ukraine, love, Chaplin, and asparagus". Nordisk Film & TV Fond. Archived from the original on 23 November 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  9. ^ Sundqvist, Janne (13 September 2023). "Kuolleet lehdet on Suomen Oscar-ehdokas – Kaurismäki Ylelle: Mikään ei voisi kiinnostaa vähemmän" (in Finnish). Yle. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  10. ^ Raita-aho, Sanna (13 September 2023). "Aki Kaurismäen Kuolleet lehdet valittiin Suomen Oscar-ehdokkaaksi – ohjaajan boikotti päättyi tällä erää". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  11. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (21 December 2023). "2024 Oscar Shortlists Unveiled: 'Barbie,' 'Poor Things,' 'Maestro,' and 'The Zone of Interest' Make the Cut". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2023.