Acclaimed filmmaker and proud co-owner of Kino Laika, the most dog-friendly cinema in Finland, Aki Kaurismäki has ironically proclaimed his latest film, Fallen Leaves, to be the fourth instalment in his ‘Proletariat Trilogy’. A charming romantic comedy about a supermarket worker and labourer who find connection with one another in the autumn of their lives in a karaoke bar, it’s full of the deadpan humour, idiosyncratic music choices and visual jokes associated with his oeuvre. Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen star as two lonely souls who face many obstacles on the course to true love. 

The Finnish actors are lifelong fans of Kaurismäki’s output and they first met the mysterious director a year before filming began on Fallen Leaves, when it was just an idea and no screenplay had been written. They spoke of ‘society, politics, how we’re treating nature and the art of asparagus growing!’, Pöysti says, her laughter filling the hotel room in which we meet. 

Vatanen plays stubborn alcoholic Holappa, and explains how he approached the role. ‘We’ve all had some misfortune in love. Life just hasn’t offered all of its beauty to Holappa yet. He is a lone wolf but when he meets this lady he has to decide if he wants to give up alcohol for this chance of falling in love.’ 

In the film, the pair watch Jim Jarmusch’s zombie apocalypse comedy The Dead Don’t Die, have an awkward meal together and enjoy live music: at one point the popular girl duo Maustetytöt perform and the two actors really enjoyed getting to know them. ‘They have such integrity,’ says Pöysti. ‘Their name means Spice Girls in Finnish,’ elaborates Vatanen. ‘They are Depressed Spice and Deadpan Spice maybe,’ he adds jokingly. 

When love is on the rocks for the couple, Pöysti’s character takes in a stray who was actually played by Kaurismäki’s own dog, making her debut. ‘We had a lot of fun just eating sausages and meatballs,’ laughs Pöysti who was entirely endeared by the dog’s talents.

Notions of freedom and integrity play into the couple’s dynamic, all of which are recurring themes in Kaurismäki’s work. ‘All his films deal with this small person in the jaws of a cold society and what greed does to us,’ Pöysti remarks. ‘The only power we can really have is compassion and loyalty towards each other. If we don’t have that then we’re actually doomed.’ 

Fallen Leaves is in cinemas now.