| Title | Shadows in Paradise (1986) |
| Runtime | 1 hr. 13 min. |
| Director | Aki Kaurismäki |
| Country | Finland |
| Studio | Criterion Collection |
| Genres | Comedy |
| Description | Lonely garbageman Nikkander (Matti Pellonpää) finds himself directionless after losing his friend and co-worker to a sudden heart attack; unlikely redemption comes in the form of plain supermarket cashier Ilona (Kati Outinen, in her first of many performances for Kaurismäki), with whom he begins a tentative love affair. Boiling down what is essentially a romantic comedy to a series of spare and beautiful gestures, Kaurismäki conjures an unexpected delight that finds hope blossoming even amid gray surroundings. |