The Match Factory Girl

Iris Rukka works at a match factory and lives with a mother and stepfather who take her wages and treat her harshly. Shy and withdrawn, she has little in her life besides the local dancehall, where she hopes to meet someone. After she buys a dress and spends a night with a man, she becomes pregnant and is left to face the consequences alone, which pushes her toward a cold and deliberate revenge on those who have wronged her.

Aki Kaurismäki directed and wrote the screenplay, and produced the film with Katinka Faragó and Klas Olofsson. It is the third of the films he directed, following Shadows in Paradise in 1986 and Ariel in 1988. Kati Outinen plays Iris, with Elina Salo as the mother, Esko Nikkari as the stepfather, Vesa Vierikko as Aarne and Silu Seppälä as the brother. The film runs 69 minutes and was made in Finland and Sweden.

Released in January 1990, the film holds a rating of 7.4 out of 10 on TMDB from 310 votes, which suggests a modest but appreciative audience.