The Man without a Past marks the much-anticipated return of Finland’s maestro, Aki Kaurismaki (Drifting Clouds, Leningrad Cowboys go America). This bittersweet, life-affirming comedy was rapturously received at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, where it took four prizes, the Grand Prix, Best Actress for Kati Outinen, the Ecumenical Jury Award and an unofficial award, the ‘Palm Dog’ for best canine performance by Kaurismaki’s own pet, Tahti. Markku Pellota plays the title character – ‘M’ – a man who arrives in Helsinki to be set upon by thugs and pronounced dead by the medics. By some miracle he comes to, swathed in bandages and wandering the streets with no memory of his past or his identity. Rebuilding his life from scratch, he acquires a dog named Hannibal and finds love with a Salvation Army volunteer (Kati Outinen), but one day the past inevitably catches up with him and the man must now confront his future. During it’s UK release the film achieved massive critical acclaim. Other prizes include Film of the Year Award, International Critics Federation, Grand Prix for Best Film, 29th Flanders International Film Festival, Nordic Council’s Film Prize, 2002 and it was the Finnish candidate for the Best Foreign Language Academy Award.

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