Tulitikkutehtaan tyttö (1990)

Director:

Aki Kaurismäki

Writer:

Aki Kaurismäki (writer)

Release Date:

6 November 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

Iris has a dead-end job in a match-factory, lives with her dour and forbidding parents, and her social life is a disaster...

Plot Keywords:

One Night Stand | Revenge | Rat Poison | Slap In The Face | Letter Writing

Awards:

6 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Kati Outinen	...	Iiris
Elina Salo	...	Mother
Esko Nikkari	...	Stepfather
Vesa Vierikko	...	Aarne
Reijo Taipale	...	The singer
Silu Seppälä	...	Iiris' brother
Outi Mäenpää	...	Iiris' co-worker
Marja Packalén	...	The doctor
Richard Reitinger	...	Man in the bar
Helka Viljanen	...	Office employee (as Helga Viljanen)
Kurt Siilas	...	Policeman
Ismo Keinänen	...	Policeman
Klaus Heydemann	...	Worker
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Erkki Friman	...	Member of dance band
Tapani Ikonen	...	Member of dance band
Jari Lappalainen	...	Member of dance band
Lasse Luoto	...	Member of dance band

Also Known As:

Flickan från tändsticksfabriken (Sweden)
The Match Factory Girl (USA)
Das Mädchen aus der Streichholzfabrik (West Germany) [de]
I gynaika me ta spirta (Greece) [el]
La chica de la fábrica de cerillas (Spain) [es]
La chica de la fábrica de fósforos (Argentina) [es]
La fiammiferaia (Italy) [it]
La fille aux allumettes (France) [fr]
Oi gynaikes me ta spirta (Greece) (TV title) [el]
Pigen fra tændstikfabrikken (Denmark) [da]

Runtime:

68 min

Country:

Finland | Sweden

Language:

Finnish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Finland:S | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Helsinki, Finland

Company:

Esselte Video

Quotes:

[first lines]
Iiris: Half pint, please!

Movie Connections:

Features Room Service (1938)

Soundtrack:

Herbstlaub

Horrible tragedy with great comic timing.

I saw this film many years ago at a local university-run cinema, and I thought it was the most brilliant comedy I had ever seen. The timing of the actors and the pacing of the scenes lent a weird feel to the movie. It was like the elements of a tragedy were being presented with a certain comic flair. Of course, I was the only one in the theater laughing, so I could be wrong, but it struck me as a completely flat comedy, with the story itself not giving out the usual comic clues. I claim either total admiration for Aki Kaurismaki or ignorance. In either case, it was very compelling.