Drifting Clouds = Kauas pilvet karkaavat

Lauri drives a tram and Ilona works as a hostess in a grand old hotel. Their life together in Helsinki seems peaceful until Lauri loses his job because the tram company is downsizing and Ilona is retrenched when the hotel she works for closes down. To make matters worse, Lauri has just purchased a brand new television on credit. Ilona takes a job in a greasy-spoon with questionable proprietors and Lauri, after selling the television and the car, indulges in a drinking binge which temporarily isolates him from his wife and home. Upon their reunion, life takes a positive turn when Ilona, with help from her old colleagues from the hotel, decides to open a restaurant, the Worker’s Rest cafe. “Drifting Clouds” is a quiet film enriched by the customary deadpan humour the Kaurismaki brothers are renowned for. Solemn, understated and rich with compassion, the characters are endearing for the genuine concern they show each other. Since the 1980’s the Kaurismaki brothers have produced their own style of absurdist comedy, tempered by a gentleness and minimalism which in “Drifting Clouds”, offsets the grim reality of themes like unemployment and poverty. Timo Salminen’s subtle photography and the strong use of primary colours in the set design create a film memorable for its fine detail and its pathos. Cast includes Kati Outinen and Kari Vaananen. In Finnish with English subtitles.