About the work
“The Match Factory Girl” (Finnish “Tulitikkutehtaan tyttö”) is a Finnish-Swedish feature film by Aki Kaurismäki, who directed, wrote and edited it; it was released on 12 January 1990 and runs just under 70 minutes. Kati Outinen plays the title character, Iris. The story has been adapted for the stage; a stage version directed by David Bösch premiered at Schauspielhaus Bochum in 2013.
Plot
Iris checks labels in a match factory and lives with her mother and stepfather, who pay her little attention; references to the Tiananmen Square massacre and Khomeini’s death place the story in June 1989. She buys herself a dress, goes dancing and meets Aarne, who drops her after one night. When she becomes pregnant, he and her family reject her, and she loses the child. She then poisons Aarne, a stranger in a bar and her mother and stepfather, and is finally arrested at her workplace.
Cultural significance
Following “Shadows in Paradise” (1986) and “Ariel” (1988), the film completes Kaurismäki’s Proletariat Trilogy and is known for its sparse, deadpan storytelling. It won the Interfilm Award at the 1990 Berlinale and several Jussi Awards in 1991, including best director and best actress; it is regarded as one of the most esteemed Finnish films, and Roger Ebert added it to his “Great Movies” series in 2011.