Fallen Leaves tells the story of two lonely people who meet each other 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. 

The gentle tragicomedy, which follows Kaurismäki's working-class trilogy (Shadows in Paradise, Ariel and The Match Factory), was enthusiastically received at this year's Cannes Film Festival and awarded the Grand Jury Prize.