SCSMI2017 Helsinki

Aki Kaurismäki is known for making melancholic films that discuss pressing social issues, but paradoxically his films have a reputation for being funny. Loneliness is a major theme in his cinema. Focusing on what I see as Kaurismäki’s loneliest protagonists, I explore how he employs his signature style of ironic minimalism and makes the representations of loneliness poignant, amusing and engaging. I demonstrate why the protagonists are lonely, how loneliness affects their being in the world and, most importantly, how ironic minimalism directs the audience to engage with them by inviting and blocking emotional involvement.