The third Exotic Erotic film night of the semester, hosted by AAU’s Film Watchers Club, took place on April 17 with professor Björn Steinz’s selection of the 2023 Finnish romance Fallen Leaves.
The couple’s quiet romance begins in a dim Finnish bar and, after a series of awkward encounters, ends with them adopting a stray dog. Despite the absence of the exotic eroticism many students expected, the audience remained captivated throughout the film, laughing and fully engaged.
“That’s the true meaning of romance, the greatest love story I have ever seen,” said an AAU-student.
Fallen Leaves, directed by Aki Kaurismäki, features the painful journey of two characters falling in love with multiple hurdles along the way. Although the plot was simple, the small moments and silence created a new form of eroticism for this semester’s film series.
“A film where silence speaks louder than words,” said AAU-student Milan Černý.
Steinz expressed that his movie choice was made prior to knowing the theme and professor Anthony Marais assured the audience that this theme has a broader scope than it seemingly appears.
Despite the long weekend before Easter when many students travel, the event saw a turnout that exceeded expectations, requiring additional chairs to accommodate the audience.
The film was screened in Finnish with English subtitles. Some students who sat in the back could not see the text.
After the screening, Steinz expressed initial concerns about how younger students would respond to the film, but he reported hearing only positive feedback.
The night concluded with drinks at Napa Bar and Gallery, where professors and students discussed the film, exchanged ideas, and played cards together.
