Synopsis

Fallen Leaves tells the story of two lonely people, Ansa and Holappa, 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 honourable goal is clouded by the man’s alcoholism, the looming shadow of the war in Ukraine, and lost connections. Can there still be hope, on the other side for love, despite life’s general tendency to place obstacles in the way of those seeking their happiness?

A heartfelt ode to cinema and music, this Cannes-winning gentle tragicomedy is the fourth part of Aki Kaurismäki’s working-class trilogy (Shadows in Paradise, Ariel, and The Match Factory Girl).