Calamari Union
08 Octobre 2021 @Capitol 21:30
Eighteen young men, seventeen of whom are named Frank, try to do something unique: Threatened by spoons, hammers, typewriters, cow-sized dogs and mean old women with little pointy elbows, they traverse a wild, merciless city to get to the coast “where you can breathe more freely”. The eighteenth, who constantly speaks filthy English, goes by the most Finnish of names: Pekka. Only two of them reach their destination – and discover how little it lives up to their dreams.
In 2021 Visionär will pay homage to the Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki by showing his second feature film: the surreal comedy Calamari Union (1985), whose cast includes well-known Finnish actors and rock musicians.
Kaurismäki is known for his extremely minimalist style. He has been called an auteur filmmaker because he writes, directs, produces and usually edits the films himself, adding his personal “drollery and deadpan” style. Events are shown in a plain way and the characters are usually left alone to deal with the consequences. However, despite their tragedies and setbacks, the characters do not give up and eventually survive.
Kaurismäki’s most acclaimed film is The Man Without A Past (Mies vailla menneisyyttä), which won the Grand Prize and the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. The Other Side of Hope (Toivon tuolla puolen, 2017) won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival.