EXCLUSIVE: Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki has achieved his best global box office in a decade with Cannes Jury Prize winner Fallen Leaves which has racked up a total gross of $12.4M, according to figures released by its producers.
This is the director’s second highest box office result behind 2011 drama Le Havre.
The Helsinki-set love story, about the difficult coming together of two lost souls, has grossed $3.6M at home which is the biggest box office performance for a local film in Finland ever.
Acquired by Mubi for North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Latin America following its Cannes Competition premiere, the film has also performed well in these territories.
After a buzzy North American festival career playing at Telluride, Toronto, and New York, the movie opened in the U.S. on November 17.
The title has since grossed over $850,000 in the US and Canada, become Kaurismäki’s second highest performing movie in North America behind the Academy Award-nominated Man Without A Past (2002).
It has done over $400,000 in the UK, as well as a $380,000 across Latin America, which is a good result in the weakened latter market.
The movie has also enjoyed a strong reception in Europe.
It grossed $1.4M (€1.3) in Germany for Pandora Filmproduktion; $3.8M (€3.4M) in France, for Diaphana Distribution and in $1.1M (€1.0M) in Italy for Lucky Red.
“It’s been an absolute thrill seeing Fallen Leaves connect with so many audiences around the globe, with much credit to Mubi and [sales agent] The Match Factory for their steady hands and vision for how this film could best be maximized in the marketplace” said co-producers Misha Jaari and Mark Lwoff.
“Even in these dark and troubling times, there remains room for love and hope, and it’s a testament to Kaurismäki’’s vision of the world that the film has universal critical consensus,” they said.
Aside from its Cannes Jury Prize, the film was also nominated at the Golden Globes as well as a variety of critics’ awards and has also made it into the long-list for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
“We look forward to the film’s expansion to more markets and its long life in the hearts of audiences everywhere,” said Jaari and Lwoff.
Fallen Leaves is currently in theaters around the world and will be streaming on Mubi starting January 19 in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America, Turkey and India.