About

Aki Kaurismäki’s darkly humorous The Match Factory Girl is a ‘Cinderella’ story devoid of enchantment. Iris (Kati Outinen) lives with her mother and stepfather, who expect her to both serve them domestically, and hand over her pay packet from her job on the production line in a match factory. Dreaming of fairy-tale romance, Iris buys a special dress and goes out to a nightclub where she meets Aarne (Vesa Vierikko), who takes her home, thinking she is a prostitute. When Iris realises her prince charming is no such thing, she coolly seeks vengeance on those who have wronged her. Shot with Kaurismäki’s trademark unyielding flat tone and deadpan humour in the face of injustice, the film explores the difficulties of manifesting the ‘happily ever after’ ideal as a working-class woman.

The Match Factory Girl will screen from an imported 35mm print.

Ages 15+ | Contains mature themes