Nordic Film Series to present Finnish film by Kaurismäki March 11

HANCOCK -- The Finnish film Lights in the Dusk is the March selection of the Finlandia University Nordic Film Series. The film will be shown at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday, March 11, at the university’s Finnish American Heritage Center, Hancock.

Lights in the Dusk (Laitakaupungin valot) is a 2006 film written and directed by Aki Kaurismäki. It is the final installment in what has been called Kaurismäki’s "Loser Trilogy." The two preceding films are Drifting Clouds and The Man Without a Past. While the trilogy’s first film was about unemployment and the second about homelessness, the theme of Lights in the Dusk is loneliness.

In Lights in the Dusk, night watchman Koiskinen lives an alienated life. Ridiculed and shunned by his workmates, regarded as incompetent by his employers, he lives alone, drinks alone and only manages to talk in any decent way with a woman who sells hot dogs at the fast food stand.

His life changes when a mysterious blond takes a sudden and unexpected interest in him.

The film was presented at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was chosen as Finland’s nominee for the 79th Academy Awards in the category of Best Foreign Language Film. However, Kaurismäki refused the nomination and boycotted the awards as a protest against U.S. foreign policy at the time.

The film is in the Finnish language with English language sub-titles. There is no charge to attend the film, but donations are accepted.

For additional information, call 906-487-7549. The Finnish American Heritage Center is located at 435 Quincy St. , Hancock.