Alma Pöysti graduated 2007 from the Theatre Academy at the University of Helsinki with a Masters degree in Arts, and has since gathered a broad experience on the theatre stages as well as in front of the camera. For over ten years Alma Pöysti has been doing stage work in both Finland and Sweden. In 2020 she played Tove Jansson in Tove and is also known from films and TV productions like Liberty, Naked Harbour and Lola upside down. Pöysti is cast in the upcoming TV series Blackwater and Harjunpää. In 2023 she played in Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki’s latest film : Fallen Leaves
Fallen Leaves has touched audiences with its heartfelt story and collected recognition for its exceptional performances. Alma Pöysti’s nomination at the Golden Globe Awards is a testament to the high-quality work of Finnish film.
The film is nominated for best non-English motion picture and it is also on the short list for an Academy Award for best international feature film.
Historically, Alma Pöysti is also nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Performance by a Female Actor in Musical or Comedy, for her role as Ansa. This is the most recent nomination for a Finnish actress for this prize and the first time ever a nomination in this category for a Finnish film.
This is the first time for both Alma Pöysti and Jussi Vatanen, the leading male actor, to appear in a movie directed by Aki Kaurismäki. Kaurismäki, renowned for award-winning films like “Lights in the Dusk” (2006) and “The Man Without A Past” (2002), has a very minimalistic approach to acting.
“It’s really surreal to be nominated alongside these fenomenal actresses whom I admire so much. So I am kind of pinching myself and I find myself just having a big smile on my face. Life is fantastic.”
“Aki told us he prefers to do the shots in one take. But if you mess up, we will do it in two takes. And if it is a disaster, we will do it in three takes,” Alma Pöysti describes the directions they received from Kaurismäki.
“This was of course his great sense of humor, but actually it was also true. Most of the scenes are done in one take and thats is quite remarkable.”
“It was like a journey to old-time movie making for us, using a 35mm film camera. Aki doesn’t use a monitor, which is extraordinary. He sits by the camera, following the takes and building the frames. His vision is clear and he knows exactly what he wants. It is a privilege to work with a master of their craft.”
But even though it is simple expression, the film has an intensity.
“You need to include life, thoughts, and feelings in your work. Trust your audience. In Akis world, less is more. The narrative will carry the story even without exaggeration. Aki has been doing this for a long time and has his own unique aesthetics, storytelling, and humanism, which I greatly admire. So it was easy to sit back and let Aki take care of everything else. The lighting, rhythm, props, everything is clear. It’s a wonderful world to be a part of,” Pöysti describes.
Being nominated is, according to her, a great recognition of the teams’ work.
“I’m so grateful. Many colleagues and people in the film industry have been cheering us on, and it’s nice to see that we can produce high-quality work in Nordic countries that gets recognized internationally.”
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Le journal du peintre 2 