The Working Class Trilogy: Shadows in Paradise

The terrifying mouth of a garbage crusher, the sea crushing upon the shore, a few kisses and the tragicomic life in a metropolis. »Shadows in Paradise« tells the love story of a garbage truck driver and a supermarket cashier. It is a film about losers, about the necessity of love and also about humility, dignity and pride.

Nikander is a garbage truck driver in Helsinki – a job with little social prestige but which he can only endure as he has developed a kind of pride in his work. He has only ever read comics his whole life long and therefore never learnt that he should achieve something in his life. He is almost like an innocent in a potentially evil world. It is only a sudden movement in his heart, initiated by Ilona, a supermarket cashier as low down and replaceable in the social hierarchy as himself, that causes Nikander to think about himself and regard himself from a distance.

Aki Kaurismäki, writer, director, editor and producer. Born in Finland 4.4.1957, but...

Films as a director:

1981
»The Saimaa Gesture«
(Co-Dir. with Mika Kaurismäki)

1983
»Crime And Punishment«

1985
»Calamari Union«

1986
»Shadows In Paradise«
»Rocky VI« (Short)

1987
»Hamlet Goes Business«
»Thru The Wire« (Short)
»L.A.Woman« (Short)
»Rich Little Bitch« (Short)

1988
»Ariel«

1989
»Leningrad Cowboys Go America«
»Dirty Hands« (TV Film)

1990
»The Match Factory Girl«
»I Hired A Contract Killer«

1991
»Those Were The Days« (Short)
»These Boots« (Short)

1992
»La Vie De Boheme«

1993
»Total Balalaika Show - Helsinki Concert« (Documentary)

1994
»Take Care Of Your Scarf - Tatjana«
»Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses«

1996
»Drifting Clouds«

1998
»Juha«

2002
»The Man Without A Past«, »Dogs Have No Hell« (Short)

2004
»Bico« (Short)

2006
»Lights In The Dusk«