LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� There are two types of cinephiles in the world: Aki Kaurism盲ki fans and future Aki Kaurism盲ki fans.
Alma P枚ysti and Jussi Vatanen, the Finnish stars of his latest, the tragicomic romance are getting to meet both during their whirlwind tour of America at the height of Hollywood鈥檚 awards season.
In the span of just a few days, they鈥檇 attend the , where both the film and P枚ysti were nominated, get the news that the National Society of Film Critics had selected 鈥淔allen Leaves鈥� as the best non-English-language film of the year, take a quick detour to San Francisco for a screening, and head back to Los Angeles in time for the .
They are running out of superlatives to describe the experience, Vatanen said in a joint interview with P枚ysti earlier this week, but both can agree it's been 鈥渙verwhelming.鈥�
The film is about two lonely people in working-class Helsinki, Ansa and Holappa, who meet at a karaoke bar and attempt to embark on a romance despite missed connections, lost phone numbers, general awkwardness, middle-age solitude and other such obstacles to true love. Its deadpan charms have transcended cultures and brought new attention to and appreciation for Kaurism盲ki 20 films in, even if he himself shies away from press and the spotlight. Thus it鈥檚 on the actors to be emissaries for the film. But it's the opposite of a chore 鈥� it鈥檚 a privilege.
鈥淭his this film brings joy and hope and comfort to people,鈥� Vatanen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to be an ambassador of that.鈥�
P枚ysti said she鈥檚 almost jealous of the people who are finding Finland鈥檚 most famous director through 鈥淔allen Leaves.鈥�
鈥淭hey have so many nice things to discover,鈥� she said. 鈥淗is humor gets you whatever age you are, wherever you come from, whatever language you speak. And that鈥檚 a true gift to be able to do that. Humor is one of the hardest things to translate into different cultures and Aki does that very uniquely and masterfully. But also his deep humanism is at the core of it all.鈥�
And you don鈥檛 need a specialty video store to access his films either: The Criterion Channel is currently streaming 15 Kaurism盲ki films, including the so-called proletariat trilogy (鈥淪hadows in Paradise,鈥� 鈥淎rial鈥� and 鈥淭he Match Factory Girl鈥�), which 鈥淔allen Leaves鈥� fits neatly within, as well as 鈥淟e Havre鈥� and 鈥淭he Other Side of Hope.鈥� 鈥淔allen Leaves鈥� will also be available to stream on MUBI starting Jan. 19.
Both Vatanen and P枚ysti grew up under Kaurism盲ki鈥檚 influence, not just his films but the culture of film appreciation he helped build in Finland with festivals and theaters and 鈥渟paces for people to meet around cinema,鈥� P枚ysti said. The opportunity to then actually be in one of his films was one that neither took for granted.
鈥淗e truly is the maestro in Finnish cinema,鈥� Vatanen said. 鈥淭o have a chance to work with him, it鈥檚 like a dream which you never had because it just felt so distant.鈥�
鈥淔allen Leaves鈥� is a film lover's film to its core, with references to Jim Jarmusch, David Lean and Charlie Chaplin. Ansa and Holappa鈥檚 movie date is to but there are also movie posters in the background of many scenes 鈥� and it didn't stop when the cameras turned off, either.
鈥淚t was like an endless movie quiz on set," Vatanen said. 鈥淭here was no chance you could beat Aki in film knowledge.鈥�
P枚ysti added that the filmmakers debated the poster choices 鈥減assionately."
They鈥檝e been on the road with 鈥淔allen Leaves鈥� on and off for almost a year, since it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, on through the New York Film Festival and its theatrical debuts around the world. And now, they鈥檝e found themselves in the flurry of Oscar season. 鈥淔allen Leaves鈥� is for best international feature representing Finland. But they don鈥檛 want to talk about that possibility just yet, before nominations are announced on Jan. 23.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to jinx anything,鈥� P枚ysti said.
Besides, it鈥檚 more fun to talk about the film anyway, which P枚ysti likes to say is 鈥渕ore salt鈥� than 鈥渟ugary love story.鈥�
鈥淭hey lead very rough lives. But humor is somehow what gets you through the day,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd these are not dating professionals at all. They鈥檙e behaving like perhaps how you鈥檙e supposed to maybe be on a date. But I don鈥檛 think either one of them has been on a date, perhaps ever.鈥�
Vatanen added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a bit like they鈥檝e read a handbook of dating, you know, like, ask her for a coffee and then the movies and maybe a dinner.鈥�
One thing they do not ask each other is their names, which Vatanen said is actually not the craziest thing, coming from Finland. The Finnish, he said, are 鈥渢he silent bunch of Europeans.鈥�
鈥淵ou could almost also perhaps call it flirting, that you don鈥檛 get all the information right away. You have to somehow earn it,鈥� P枚ysti added. 鈥淎nd they are extremely shy. Saying your name might be a very, very vulnerable thing to.鈥�
And they鈥檝e enjoyed hearing everyone鈥檚 reactions to 鈥淔allen Leaves鈥� at screenings around the world and knowing that people leave the film feeling hopeful.
鈥淚 love the fact that it鈥檚 just a small love story,鈥� Vatanen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not covered in anything. It鈥檚 simple emotions, simple humanity and it still, I guess because of that, touches people,鈥�
They did get a few precious hours of downtime one day during their trip, too. Naturally, they went to the movies: A retrospective screening of Robert Altman鈥檚 鈥淭he Long Goodbye鈥� at the the New Beverly Cinema. In the land of movie stars, they expected to go under the radar. But much to their surprise, there were some moviegoers there who recognized them and wanted to talk about Kaurism盲ki and 鈥淔allen Leaves.鈥�
鈥淚t was quite crazy,鈥� Vatanen said.
Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
