For the Matches
Short description
Set in Liperi, Eastern Finland, this historical comedy follows a man named Antti who leaves home to fetch matches for his wife, Anna-Liisa. What should have been a simple errand becomes a prolonged journey. Along the way, Antti encounters an old acquaintance and breaks a twenty-year vow of sobriety, leading to an unexpected meeting with a former friend in town.
The film was a co-production between the Soviet Union's Mosfilm and Finland's Suomi-Filmi. It was directed by Risto Orko and Leonid Gaidai, the latter of whom previously directed works including The Diamond Arm and Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession. The screenplay was written by Gaidai, Orko, and Vladlen Bakhnov. The cast is led by Evgeni Leonov as Antti Ihalainen, supported by Vyacheslav Nevinnyy, Rita Polster, Ritva Valkama, Georgiy Vitsin, and Galina Polskikh.
Produced with a budget of 3 million USD, the movie features a credited crew of 41 and a cast of 30. Audience reception is generally positive, with a 6.7 rating on IMDb based on 1,400 votes and a 6.3 rating on TMDB from 40 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- In the summer of 1978, a decision was made to produce a joint film with the Finns. The 25th anniversary of the establishment of special relations between the USSR and Finland was approaching, and it needed to be marked with a new film. They decided to film it at Mosfilm. They suggested Georgiy Daneliya as the Soviet director, but he was preparing to shoot "Autumn Marathon," so he declined the offer to participate in the project. Then they turned to Leonid Gaidai.
- The idea of making a film with seven Soviet and seven Finnish actors had to be abandoned. Evgeniy Leonov was immediately cast in the lead role, and then they began searching for a partner for him on set. Auditions were organized with Donatas Banionis, Leonid Kuravlyov, and Vyacheslav Nevinniy.
- Leonid Gaidai freely deviated from the script, finding the written dialogues too drawn-out. They would have been normal for Finnish viewers, but in the USSR they would have been considered tedious. Gaidai shortened the dialogues – to the disappointment of the Finnish audience.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
