THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST
aka MIES VAILLA MENNEISYYTTÄ

Year: 2002
USA: Sony Pictures Classics
UK: ICA Projects
Cast: Markku Peltola, Kati Outinen, Annikki Tähti, Juhani Niemelä, Kaija Pakarinen, Sakari Kuosmanen, Esko Nikkari, Outi Mäenpää, Pertti Sveholm, Aino Seppo, Janne Hyytiäinen, Elina Salo, Anneli Sauli, Marko Haavisto, Joona Karastie, Aarre Karen, Risto Korhonen, Vesa Mäkelä, Liisa Mustonen, Matti Pellonpää, Anton Peltola, Sulevi Peltola, Antti Reini, Jouni Saarnio, Silu Seppälä, Jukka Teerisaari, Jyrki Telilä, Panu Vauhkonen, Peter von Bagh, Tom Wahlroos, Matti Wuori
Director: Aki Kaurismäki
Countries: Finland / Germany / France
Language: Finnish (English subtitles)
UK: 97 mins
UK Certificate: 12A contains infrequent moderate violence
USA Release Date: 4 April 2003 (Limited Release - New York)
UK Release Date: 24 January 2003


Synopsis

A delirious mixture of black comedy, film noir and love story, Kaurismäki's rapturously received film triumphed at the Cannes Film Festival 2002 where it took a multitude of prizes. Markku Pellota plays the title character 'M' a man who arrives in Helsinki to be set upon by thugs and pronounced dead by medics. By some miracle he comes to, wandering the streets with no memory of his past or his identity. Rebuilding his life from scratch, 'M' acquires a dog named Hannibal and falls in love with a Salvation Army volunteer. But the past inevitably catches up with him and the man must then confront his future.