This October, an IC lecture explored a timeless tale of love and loneliness against the backdrop of Helsinki, Finland.
Every month, International Cinema (IC) holds free showings for a selection of international films. These films explore various themes and display a wide array of cultures.
During October 2024, faculty members from the College of Humanities presented lectures about four films before their showings. Among them, associate professor of theatre arts Wade Hollingshaus gave a lecture on the film Fallen Leaves (2023) and discussed the portrayal of modern-day life and its intersection with the pursuit of love and connection.
“Fallen Leaves: When is Aki Kaurismäki?” by Wade Hollingshaus
“If this is your introduction to Finnish [cinema], know that this isn’t your typical Finnish film,” Hollingshaus advised at the start of his lecture on October 2, 2024. He began by discussing the filmography of Aki Kaurismäki, the director of Fallen Leaves. Kaurismäki cited him as a well-known director among Finnish art house circles, famous for his “minimalist” style: still camera shots, lingering frames, and ambient silence—all done in an effort to create a sense of realism and authenticity. According to Hollingshaus, Kaurismäki aimed to challenge Finland’s reputation as the “happiest country in the world” and chose instead to depict a more realistic working-class experience that touched on darker subject matter like depression, alcoholism, and suicide.
Fallen Leaves tells the story of a man named Holappa and a woman named Ansa who, while living in a contemporary yet emotionally void world, meet and form a connection. Though Fallen Leaves incorporates many heavy subjects, it’s also a romance and a comedy. “[Kaurismäki] wants his film to feel like a 1940s romance,” Hollingshaus argued. Going on to explain how Kaurismäki craves those timeless settings in his films, Hollingshaus said, “[Kaurismäki] asks the question, ‘Can you actually have that sweet romance film of the 1940s in a time like 2023? . . . Is it [still] possible to have a really sweet romance movie?’”
Kaurismäki intentionally plays with the concept of timelessness and even tries to confuse viewers as to when the story is supposed to take place. For instance, the characters use euros instead of the old Finnish currency markka, display a calendar of the year 2024, listen to a 1960s radio, talk about the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, listen to music from the 1950s, and read comic books and posters from the 1970s. “One of the. . . really fascinating [things] about this film is trying to figure out. . . when the film is set,” Hollingshaus said. “There’s a sense [that] he’s put you out of time.”
Hollingshaus concluded his lecture by describing how Kaurismäki blends humor and romance together to create this realistic depiction of contemporary life, encouraging audiences to look beyond the surface in the process. “[Kaurismäki] is training you to be a critical observer,” Hollingshaus said. “He doesn’t want you to, as he says, ‘hang your. . . brain with your hat at the door.’ He wants you to come in and feel something.”
Below is a sampled selection of the films showcased throughout October.
Not One Less (1999)
“Huike, where have you gone? I’ve been looking for you for three days. Why haven’t you returned?”
Not One Less is a Chinese film about 13-year-old Wei Minzhi, who substitutes for a teacher in her remote mountain village school for a month. Due to the poor economic state of the village, the children often feel pressured to work rather than attend school, and Minzhi faces challenges maintaining authority over her young students. One day, she travels to a nearby city to find a student, Huike, who left to find work. Set in both rural and urban China, the film highlights the value of education and the resilience of both Minzhi and her students in overcoming financial and logistical obstacles to pursue their education.
The Zone of Interest (2023)
“The life we enjoy is very much worth the sacrifice.”
Zone of Interest is a German film that takes place during WWII and focuses on the lives of Auschwitz’s camp commandant and his family instead of the prisoners at the camp. The banality of the family’s life on their property gets repeatedly contrasted with the horrific acts happening nearby. Their ordinary lives—having tea in the morning, playing in the pool, and gardening—continue normally despite the moral atrocities happening next door. The film looks at the detachment and psychological state required for people to distance themselves from the moral implications of their actions and explains how that might lead to desensitization.
Songs of Earth (2023)
“If you don’t walk too fast and look around, you get the feeling that we are small in a big world.”
Songs of Earth is a Norwegian film where the director, Margreth Olin, follows her father, Jørgen Mykløen, through the mountainous backdrop of Norway’s most adventurous valley, Oldedalen—the place where Jørgen grew up. As they wander, they have discussions about life, death, nature, and what it means to be present in nature. Between moments of conversation, shots of the beautiful nature in the valley are featured, as well as amplified sounds from the environment. The film provides a commentary on both the beauty of nature and the importance of heritage and family.
The Secret of Kells (2009)
“I have seen beauty thrive in the most fragile of places. I’ve seen the book—the book that turns darkness into light.”
The Secret of Kells is an Irish animated film about a young boy named Brendan who lives in the medieval monastic settlement of Kells. After a stranger arrives with an unfinished book, Brendan decides to embark on a journey to complete the contents of the book and keep it safe from the incoming Viking invaders. A blend of Celtic folklore and the legends surrounding the famous Book of Kells, the film highlights the importance of preserving culture and the role books play in safeguarding against the loss of cultural heritage.
Invisible Nation (2023)
“Freedom around the world is under threat like never before, and Taiwan has long been on the front lines of this battle.”
Invisible Nation is a Taiwanese documentary that explores the presidency of Tsai Ing-wen, the first female president of Taiwan. Spanning from 2016 to 2022, the film examines her time in office, highlighting her approach to Taiwan’s identity and its international relations amid increasing military pressures from the People’s Republic of China. Through a series of interviews, the documentary presents Tsai’s efforts to maintain Taiwan’s identity as a democratic nation and her initiatives to strengthen ties with other nations during her presidency.
To read more about previous films and lectures featured at the IC, click here.