Marja-Leena Hukkanen's Photographs of Aki Kaurismäki at Casa Masaccio

The fifth edition of the film and visual arts review Esporre il cinema is underway in Arezzo, running alongside the historic Premio Marco Melani award. Founded and directed by Enrico Ghezzi, the prize honors national and international filmmakers. This year, Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki (born 1957 in Orimattila) received the award. The exhibition Dietro la scena, dentro il set dell’uomo, hosted at Casa Masaccio – Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea in San Giovanni in Valdarno until July 27, presents over fifty photographs by Marja-Leena Hukkanen, who has collaborated with Kaurismäki for over forty years. Curated by Armando Andria, Laura Vittoria Cherchi, and Gabriele Monaco, the show spans Kaurismäki's entire filmography from Calamari Union (1984) to the recent Figlie al vento (2023). The display includes video sequences organized around four recurring settings: domestic interiors, refuge and prison, workplaces, and bars and stages. Organizers describe Hukkanen's work as poetic, blending documentation with sensitive interpretation, capturing the fragility and dignity of Kaurismäki's characters.