Aki Kaurismäki
Encyclopedia
Aki Olavi Kaurismäki (ˈɑki ˈkɑurismæki; born 4 April 1957, Orimattila
, Finland
) is a Finnish script writer and film director
.
. His debut as an independent director was Crime and Punishment (1983), Dostoyevsky's famous crime story set in modern-day Helsinki
. He gained worldwide notice with his movie Leningrad Cowboys Go America
.
His style has been influenced by the French directors Jean-Pierre Melville and Robert Bresson
, as he relies on low-key acting and simple cinematic storytelling to get his message(s) across. Critics have also seen an influence from Rainer Werner Fassbinder
but Kaurismäki - a keen film buff himself - has said that he somehow never got around to seeing any Fassbinder movies until quite recently. His movies have a unique downplayed humorous side that can also be seen in the films of Jim Jarmusch
, who has a cameo in Kaurismäki's film Leningrad Cowboys Go America. Jarmusch also used frequent Kaurismäki actors in his film Night on Earth, a part of which takes place in Helsinki, Finland.
Much of his work is centred on Helsinki, his native city, particularly Calamari Union which is largely set in the working class neighbourhood of Kallio
, and the trilogy that comprises Shadows in Paradise, Ariel, and The Match Factory Girl. His vision of Helsinki is, it should be noted, both critical and singularly unromantic. Indeed, the characters often speak about how they wish to get away from Helsinki: some end up in Mexico
(Ariel), others in Estonia
(Calamari Union and Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatjana). The setting is the 1980s, even in the more recent movies, or there are references to the 70's and 80's eras.
. It won the Grand Prix
and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
and was nominated for an Academy Award
in the Best Foreign Language Film category in 2003. However, Kaurismäki refused to attend the gala, noting that he didn't particularly feel like partying in a nation that is currently in a state of war. Kaurismäki's next film Lights in the Dusk was also chosen to be Finland's nominee in the category for best foreign film. Kaurismäki again decided to boycott the Awards and refused the nomination as a protest against U.S.
President George W. Bush
's foreign policy.
In 2003, in one of his most famous protests, Kaurismäki boycotted the 40th New York Film Festival
as a show of solidarity with Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami
who was not given a US visa in time for the festival.
Orimattila
Orimattila is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the Päijänne Tavastia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .The municipality is unilingually Finnish....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
) is a Finnish script writer and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
Career
After studying Media Studies at the University of Tampere, Aki Kaurismäki started his career as a co-director in the films of his elder brother Mika KaurismäkiMika Kaurismäki
Mika Juhani Kaurismäki is a Finnish film director.He is the elder brother of Aki Kaurismäki, and the father of Maria Kaurismäki who graduated from Tampere School of Art and Media in 2008 with her movie Sideline.Mika Kaurismäki has lived in Brazil since approximately 1992 and has made several...
. His debut as an independent director was Crime and Punishment (1983), Dostoyevsky's famous crime story set in modern-day Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. He gained worldwide notice with his movie Leningrad Cowboys Go America
Leningrad Cowboys Go America
Leningrad Cowboys Go America is a 1989 road movie by Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki about the adventures of a fictional Russian rock band that travels to the United States to become famous...
.
His style has been influenced by the French directors Jean-Pierre Melville and Robert Bresson
Robert Bresson
-Life and career:Bresson was born at Bromont-Lamothe, Puy-de-Dôme, the son of Marie-Élisabeth and Léon Bresson. Little is known of his early life and the year of his birth, 1901 or 1907, varies depending on the source. He was educated at Lycée Lakanal in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, close to Paris, and...
, as he relies on low-key acting and simple cinematic storytelling to get his message(s) across. Critics have also seen an influence from Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Maria Fassbinder was a German movie director, screenwriter and actor. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the New German Cinema.He maintained a frenetic pace in film-making...
but Kaurismäki - a keen film buff himself - has said that he somehow never got around to seeing any Fassbinder movies until quite recently. His movies have a unique downplayed humorous side that can also be seen in the films of Jim Jarmusch
Jim Jarmusch
James R. "Jim" Jarmusch is an American independent film director, screenwriter, actor, producer, editor and composer. Jarmusch has been a major proponent of independent cinema, particularly during the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
, who has a cameo in Kaurismäki's film Leningrad Cowboys Go America. Jarmusch also used frequent Kaurismäki actors in his film Night on Earth, a part of which takes place in Helsinki, Finland.
Much of his work is centred on Helsinki, his native city, particularly Calamari Union which is largely set in the working class neighbourhood of Kallio
Kallio
Kallio is a district and a neighbourhood in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, located on the eastern side of the Helsinki peninsula about one kilometere north from the city centre. It is one of the most densely populated areas in Finland...
, and the trilogy that comprises Shadows in Paradise, Ariel, and The Match Factory Girl. His vision of Helsinki is, it should be noted, both critical and singularly unromantic. Indeed, the characters often speak about how they wish to get away from Helsinki: some end up in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(Ariel), others in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
(Calamari Union and Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatjana). The setting is the 1980s, even in the more recent movies, or there are references to the 70's and 80's eras.
Awards and protests
In terms of awards, Kaurismäki's most successful movie has been The Man Without a PastThe Man Without a Past
The Man Without a Past is a 2002 Finnish comedy-drama film directed by Aki Kaurismäki and starring Markku Peltola, Kati Outinen and Juhani Niemelä. It is the second installment in Kaurismäki's Finland trilogy, the other two films being Drifting Clouds and Lights in the Dusk...
. It won the Grand Prix
Grand Prix (Cannes Film Festival)
The Grand Prix is an award of the Cannes Film Festival bestowed by the jury of the festival on one of the competing feature films. It is the second-most prestigious prize of the festival after the Palme d'Or...
and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
The Prize of the Ecumenical Jury is an independent film award for feature films at the Cannes Film Festival since 1974. The Ecumenical Jury is one of three juries at the Cannes Film Festival, along with the official jury and the FIPRESCI jury. The award was created by Christian film makers, film...
at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
2002 Cannes Film Festival
The 2002 Cannes Film Festival started on 15 May and ran until 26 May. The Palme d'Or went to the Polish-French-German-British co-produced film The Pianist directed by Roman Polanski.-Jury:* David Lynch * Sharon Stone* Michelle Yeoh...
and was nominated for an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
in the Best Foreign Language Film category in 2003. However, Kaurismäki refused to attend the gala, noting that he didn't particularly feel like partying in a nation that is currently in a state of war. Kaurismäki's next film Lights in the Dusk was also chosen to be Finland's nominee in the category for best foreign film. Kaurismäki again decided to boycott the Awards and refused the nomination as a protest against U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's foreign policy.
In 2003, in one of his most famous protests, Kaurismäki boycotted the 40th New York Film Festival
New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
as a show of solidarity with Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami
Abbas Kiarostami
Abbas Kiarostami is an internationally acclaimed Iranian film director, screenwriter, photographer and film producer. An active filmmaker since 1970, Kiarostami has been involved in over forty films, including shorts and documentaries...
who was not given a US visa in time for the festival.
Feature films
- Crime and Punishment, 1983
- Calamari UnionCalamari UnionCalamari Union is the second full-length film by director Aki Kaurismäki, 1984.-Plot:Calamari Union is an allegorical movie that tells the story of sixteen men all of whom are called Frank apart from a single confrere, Pekka...
, 1985 - Shadows in ParadiseShadows in ParadiseShadows in Paradise is a 1986 Finnish black comedy romantic comedy film written and directed by Aki Kaurismäki. The film stars Kati Outinen as Ilona and Matti Pellonpää as Nikander. Ilona is a supermarket check-out clerk who meets Nikander, a lonely garbage man, and they develop romantic feelings...
, 1986 - Hamlet Goes BusinessHamlet Goes BusinessHamlet Goes Business is a 1987 comedy film directed by Aki Kaurismäki and starring Pirkka-Pekka Petelius.-Cast:* Pirkka-Pekka Petelius - Hamlet* Esko Salminen - Klaus* Kati Outinen - Ofelia* Elina Salo - Gertrud* Esko Nikkari - Polonius...
, 1987 - ArielAriel (film)Ariel is a Finnish 1988 film directed and written by Aki Kaurismäki. The movie tells the story of Taisto Kasurinen, a Finnish coal miner who must find a way to live in the big city now that the coal mine has closed....
, 1988 - Likaiset kädet (Les mains sales), 1989 (production for Finnish TV)
- Leningrad Cowboys Go AmericaLeningrad Cowboys Go AmericaLeningrad Cowboys Go America is a 1989 road movie by Finnish film director Aki Kaurismäki about the adventures of a fictional Russian rock band that travels to the United States to become famous...
, 1989 - The Match Factory GirlThe Match Factory GirlThe Match Factory Girl is a 1990 Finnish/Swedish comedy-drama film written and directed by Aki Kaurismäki. The film is about a match factory worker who lives a dull and uneventful life. She is picked up by a man at a nightclub and she sleeps with him. He gets her pregnant then wants nothing to do...
, 1990 - I Hired a Contract KillerI Hired a Contract KillerI Hired a Contract Killer is a film directed, produced and written by the Finnish auteur Aki Kaurismäki in 1990. It is a Finnish-British-German-Swedish co-production and stars the renowned French actor Jean-Pierre Léaud...
, 1990 - La Vie de BohèmeLa Vie de Bohème (film)La Vie de Bohème is a 1992 film directed by Aki Kaurismäki and starring Matti Pellonpää, Evelyne Didi and André Wilms. Kaurismäki's screenplay for the film was based on Henri Murger's influential novel Scènes de la Vie de Bohème which has spawned several on-screen adaptations as well as plays and...
, 1992 - Take Care of Your Scarf, TatianaTake Care of Your Scarf, TatianaTake Care of Your Scarf, Tatiana , also translated as Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatjana, is a 1994 Finnish/German film directed, produced and co-written by Aki Kaurismäki...
, 1994 - Leningrad Cowboys Meet MosesLeningrad Cowboys Meet MosesLeningrad Cowboys Meet Moses is a 1994 film directed by Aki Kaurismäki. It is a sequel to the popular 1989 film Leningrad Cowboys Go America that introduced the fictional Russian rock band Leningrad Cowboys which, subsequently, became a notable real life rock band in Finland.-Plot:Picking up where...
, 1994 - Drifting CloudsDrifting Clouds (film)Drifting Clouds is a 1996 Finnish film directed by Aki Kaurismäki and starring Kati Outinen, Kari Väänänen and Markku Peltola. The film is the first in Kaurismäki's Finland trilogy, the other 2 films being The Man Without a Past and Lights in the Dusk.- Plot :Ilona Koponen , a head waitress at...
, 1996 - JuhaJuha (film)Juha is a 1999 Finnish film written and directed by Aki Kaurismäki. The film is based on a famous 1911 novel by the Finnish author Juhani Aho marking this as the fourth time the novel was adapted for the screen. The original story takes place in the 18th century but Kaurismäki's remake is set in...
, 1999 - The Man Without a PastThe Man Without a PastThe Man Without a Past is a 2002 Finnish comedy-drama film directed by Aki Kaurismäki and starring Markku Peltola, Kati Outinen and Juhani Niemelä. It is the second installment in Kaurismäki's Finland trilogy, the other two films being Drifting Clouds and Lights in the Dusk...
, 2002 - Lights in the Dusk, 2006
- Le HavreLe Havre (film)Le Havre is a 2011 comedy-drama film written and directed by Aki Kaurismäki, starring André Wilms, Kati Outinen, Jean-Pierre Darroussin and Blondin Miguel. It tells the story of a shoeshiner who tries to save an immigrant child in the French port city Le Havre. The film was produced by Kaurismäki's...
, 2011
Short films
- Rocky VIRocky VI (1986 film)Rocky VI is a 1986 nine-minute black-and-white short parody of Rocky IV by Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki. The film stars Antti Juhani "Silu" Seppälä as Rocky and Sakari Kuosmanen as Igor, his Soviet opponent. In the film, the two boxers fight at Töölön kisahalli in Helsinki...
, 1986 (8 min) - Thru the Wire, 1987 (6 min)
- Rich Little Bitch, 1987 (6 min)
- L.A. Woman, 1987 (5 min)
- Those Were The Days, 1991 (5 min)
- These Boots, 1992 (5 min)
- Oo aina ihminen, 1995 (5 min)
- Välittäjä, 1996 (4 min)
- Dogs Have No Hell, 2002 (10 minute episode in the collaborative film Ten Minutes OlderTen Minutes OlderTen Minutes Older is a 2002 film project consisting of two compilation feature films titled The Trumpet and The Cello. The project was conceived by the producer Nicolas McClintock as a reflection on the theme of time at the turn of the Millennium. Fifteen celebrated film-makers were invited to...
- The Trumpet) - Bico, 2004 (5 minute episode in the collaborative film Visions of Europe)
- The Foundry, 2006 (3 minute episode in the collaborative film To Each His Own CinemaTo Each His Own CinemaTo Each His Own Cinema is a 2007 French anthology film commissioned for the 60th anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival. The film is a collection of 34 short films, each 3 minutes in length, by 36 acclaimed directors...
)
External links
- Siunattu teknologia!, comprehensive fan site of the films of Kaurismäki brothers.
- Aki Kaurismäki by Orimattila Town Library.
- Aki Kaurismäki profile at Senses of Cinema
- Aki Kaurismäki- thisisFINLAND
- In-depth interview with Aki Kaurismaki
- 'I am a Lousy Film-maker' - Interview with Aki Kaurismaki
- Kaurismäki refuses to allow Oscar nomination
- WiderScreen.fi 2/2007, articles about Aki Kaurismäki.