Drifting Clouds(Kauas pilvet karkaavat)

Misfortune begets misfortune – a man is laid off by the tram company, and his wife loses her job at a bankrupt restaurant. As the desperation and humiliation of searching for work begin to take their toll, they find themselves facing a life crisis. Addressing the sorrows of unemployment in the first instalment of his ‘Loser Trilogy’, Aki places his Finnish reality in between the gritty realism of Bicycle Thieves and the joyful optimism of It’s a Wonderful Life, delivering one of his most poignant and compassionate works. The sets, the props, and the vivid colour schemes all conspire to overwhelm the ill-fated ironies, giving heartwarming humanism and a sense of hope.

Cannes Film Festival: Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention