Fallen Leaves + Jean the Matchmaker

Fallen Leaves (2023)
Dir. Aki Kaurismäki
With Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, Janne Hyytiäinen, Nuppu Koivu
81min; DCP
In Finnish with English subtitles

Winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes, as well as the Palm Dog’s Grand Jury Prize, the latest from brilliant Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki showcases his striking blend of crystalline visuals, dark humor, and piercing observation. Fallen Leaves follows two lonely people who meet by chance in the Helsinki night and try to find the first, only, and ultimate love of their lives. Their path towards this honorable goal is clouded by the man’s alcoholism, lost phone numbers, not knowing each other’s names or addresses, and life’s general tendency to place obstacles in the way of those seeking their happiness. This gentle tragicomedy features Kaurismäki’s own dog, making her debut in a small but pivotal (and heart stealing) role.

Preceded by:

Jean the Matchmaker (1910)
Dir. Lawrence Trimble
With Florence Turner, Charles Kent, Jean
13min

Jean the Vitagraph Dog, America’s first canine screen star, starred in a bevy of early silent films, almost all of them lost aside from Jean the Matchmaker. Shot in 1910 near Portland, Maine, the charming short follows two bashful brothers relying on their charismatic collie companion to win the hearts of the local girls. Jean’s star grew so bright that when she took a break to have a family in 1913, Motion Picture World reported the news: “Jean, the Vitagraph dog, is the happy mother of six little ones. Mother and children all doing nicely, thank you." Jean the Matchmaker provides a rare opportunity to see the dog that paved the way for canine actorsl—and inspired this series.