Some people like large-scale and epic Hollywood blockbusters, but there will always be those who prefer wayward and truthful European films to them. For lovers of auteur cinema, each country is associated with the names of its outstanding directors. For example, in Italy it is Bernardo Bertolucci, in Sweden it is Ingmar Bergman, in Spain it is Pedro Almodovar, and in Finland it is Aki Kaurismäki. The latter is perhaps the most prominent figure in the visual and screenwriting arts in his homeland, with the exception of his brother Mika, because Finnish cinema is very poorly developed, and only a few reach fame and success.
Biography
Aki Kaurismäki was born in 1957 in the town of Orimattila, which is located in the province of Päyät-Häme. His father, Jorma, worked in finance, and his mother, Leena, worked in tourism. In addition to Aki, three more children were born in the family, one of whom, Mika, is also a revered director. Kaurismäks constantly traveled all over Finland, moving from place to place. This period in the life of the rising filmmaker will be reflected in his work. The family also traveled extensively outsidenative country. The boy finishes school in Kankaanpya, having read a lot of books, which aroused his zealous interest from a very early age. In addition to literature, young Kaurismäki falls in love with cinema, choosing this field as his future profession. However, he fails to enter the university in the chosen direction, as a result of which young Aki works in various fields, not even neglecting the work of a loader and dishwasher.
First steps in the world of cinema
Some directors accumulate their experience, knowledge and skills required for further activities on their own. Thanks to an active life and a change of speci alties, as well as a passionate passion for cinema, Aki Kaurismäki manages to become the undisputed master of staging. And his work as a journalist helped him in creating his own scripts. When the director turns 24, he and his brother open their own film company, and in the same year their common documentary brainchild Saima-phenomenon is born.
And two years later he makes his first feature film Crime and Punishment, a modern rethinking of Dostoevsky's great work. The director works in parallel with short films, and one of the most famous films in this genre was Rocky 6. But world fame and public respect haunt him after the release of the film "Leningrad Cowboys Go to America", which tells about the cult rock band.
Trilogy oflosers
Some directors prefer to combine their films with one theme, making them a kind of cycle. This technique is used by: Alexander Sokurov, Lars von Trier and Aki Kaurismyaki. The films of the Finnish creator have two trilogies, the first of which tells about losers. Tapes from this series were released every couple of years, starting in 1986. And in between, the director continued to shoot his iconic films. The first film of the trilogy is considered to be "Shadows in Paradise", which takes place in Helsinki, as in all subsequent ones. Maestro's favorite actress Kati Outinen, who starred in most of his creations, appears there for the first time. The next picture of the cycle is Ariel. Aki Kaurismaki, as usual, acted as director, screenwriter and producer in it. And the trio closes in 1990 with "The Girl from the Match Factory", where Outinen reappears. It was these films that paved the way for their author to be respected throughout Europe.
Follow-up works
Aki Kaurismäki's next film, Life of a Bohemian, takes viewers from the director's hometown of Helsinki to Paris. She is again warmly received by the foreign audience and receives the next awards, which by that time had already accumulated a decent amount. A couple of short films later, Aki shoots a sequel about the adventures of a Siberian band called Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses. It did not have the same stunning success as the first part, but the fans of the Finnish genius were glad to meet their favorite characters again. PassionKaurismyaki music, especially "cowboys", is reflected in another documentary - "Balalaika Show" in 1994.
New trilogy
Aki's next trilogy begins with "Clouds Float Away". This time a series of films has been released for ten years, and they again touch on the theme of the proletariat. In the first and in the second, titled "A Man Without a Past", Aki Kaurismäki shoots the same Outinen in the lead role, who, like the previous time, appears only in two pictures of the cycle.
In 2003, the director receives an Oscar nomination for the interim film of the trilogy, which is a great achievement for all of Finland. And the series “Fires of the City Outskirts” is completed in 2006, after which the director shoots only two short films for five years, one of which is included in the collection of short stories “Everyone Has Their Own Cinema”. And in 2011, he again takes up active work and releases the Le Havre tape, which aroused great interest among fans and critics languishing in anticipation. At the moment, this is the director's last project, not counting the joint project with colleagues from the Historical Center in 2012. The next movie is not expected to hit screens until 2017, with details being kept under wraps for now.
Awards
During his long creative career, Aki Kaurismäki has received countless awards, becoming the most prestigious Finnish film director who has ever lived. His first nomination was at the MIFF for the painting "Ariel", and shewon the FIPRESCI prize. In 1990, the film "The Girl from the Match Factory" made a splash at the Berlin Film Festival, and in 1992, "The Life of Bohemia" amazed everyone there. Since 1996, the director's films began to win at the Cannes Film Festival. In total, Kaurismäki has three of them: for “Clouds float away into the distance”, for the film “A Man Without a Past” and the film “Havre”. Actors who starred with the Finnish maestro also enjoy success at film awards, and he himself is the most titled filmmaker in his state, which never ceases to inspire his young fellow citizens to create films.
