The Match Factory Girl

The Match Factory Girl (Tulitikkutehtaan tyttö), 1990
35mm, Color, 68’

Part of the Working Class Trilogy, The Match Factory Girl is one of Kaurismäki’s most striking films. Kati Outinen plays Iris, a blonde, blank-faced, downtrodden factory worker whose quest for love and companionship is thwarted by her parents or by exploitative men. One day Iris decides to take a revolutionary stand and, arming herself with rat poison, sets out for revenge. With its inexpressive acting, motionless camera, and geometrical compositions The Match Factory Girl is a good example of a favorite subgenre of Kaurismäki’s; films in which social exploitation and injustice lead to crime!