Liftoff

The mine where miner Kasurinan (Turo Pajala) works closed down, and he had to drive an old convertible Cadillac given by others to Helsinki to find another way out. A robbery on the road left him with only a Cadillac and a radio. Casurinan found a temporary job as a dock worker, but he was unable to get a full-time job. Kasurinan met Ilemele, a female worker with a boy who worked in a slaughterhouse, and their lives soon merged into one. But soon Kasurinan was imprisoned for seeking revenge on the robbers. His roommate Mikonan carefully planned the escape steps. With the help of Ilemele, Kasurinan regained his freedom. The film won the Best Actor Award at the 1989 Moscow International Film Festival, the International Film Critics FIPRESCI Award, and the 1991 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It is the second part of director Aki Kaurismäki's proletarian trilogy.