Plot
Nikander, a rubbish collector and would-be entrepreneur, finds his plans for success dashed when his business associate dies. One evening, he meets Ilona, a down-on-her-luck cashier, in a local supermarket. Falteringly, a bond begins to develop between them.
Cast
as Nikander
as Ilona
as Melartin
as Nikander's Co-Worker
as Ilona's Friend
as Store Manager
as Third Man
as Police Officer
as Nikander's Sister
as Pianist
Gallery
Reviews
Released in 1986, Aki Kaurismaki's Varjoja paratiisissa (Shadows in Paradise) is one of the Finnish filmmaker's earliest efforts, and it stands as one of the most idiosyncratic romantic comedies of all time. The painfully shy Nikander (Matti Pellonpää), a garbage man, means the moody Ilona, a supermarket checkout girl. The film tracks their bumbling attempt to establish a lasting relations…