Leningrad Cowboys Go America

35 years ago, Finnish deadpan master Aki Kaurismäki (FALLEN LEAVES, LE HAVRE) achieved a significant international breakthrough with this beloved road movie following the adventures of an inept Siberian rock ’n’ roll band. Somewhere in the tundra, in no-man’s land, lives the worst band in the world, an outfit with no audience and absolutely no commercial potential. Yet they long for success, so when their manager suggests they head to the USA, the band is prepared to sacrifice their cultural identity for a shot at the big-time. Thus, with matching projectile pompadours and pointed shoes, a music style that weds rockabilly with Finnish folk tunes, and the frozen corpse of their bass player strapped to the roof of their stretch Cadillac (purchased from a dealer played by Jim Jarmusch), the Leningrad Cowboys make their way towards Mexico across a landscape of warped Americana… Infused with Kaurismäki’s signature dry wit and generosity of spirit, the film spawned two sequels, and brought the fictional band a major real-life following!