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The Match Factory Girl poster

Film · 1990

The Match Factory Girl

Original titleTulitikkutehtaan tyttö

Directed by Aki Kaurismäki · starring Kati Outinen, Elina Salo and Silu Seppälä

Synopsis

A lonely young woman does a mechanical and routine job in a match factory. When he gets home he must endure his wicked stepfather and his mother's lack of affection. At night he goes out to dance trying to have fun and find a partner, but she's never lucky. Iris has a dead-end job in a match-factory, lives with her dour and forbidding parents, and her social life is a disaster. But when she is made pregnant after a one-night stand by a man who thought she was a prostitute, she decides that enough is enough and plans her revenge. Together with 'Shadows in Paradise' (1986) and 'Ariel' (1988), this film is part of the first trilogy entitled "the Proletariat trilogy" and is a sample of the style and the inimitable voice of the Finnish filmmaker, one of the great artists of the cinema.

Where to watch The Match Factory Girl

All the options

Available now in the UK:

Availability checked on 8 November 2026.

The essentials

Runtime
69 min1 hour and 9 minutes
Budget
$83,038
Rating
15Suitable only for 15 years and over
How long is The Match Factory Girl?
1 hour and 9 minutes (69 minutes).
Who directed The Match Factory Girl?
Aki Kaurismäki.
Who is in The Match Factory Girl?
It stars Kati Outinen, Elina Salo, Silu Seppälä and Esko Nikkari.
Where can I watch The Match Factory Girl?
In the UK it is available with a channel on Prime Video.
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Director
Aki Kaurismäki
Writers
Aki Kaurismäki
Producers
Aki Kaurismäki

Videos and trailers

See the video

Photos and posters

All 10 photos

Soundtrack

All 16 songs
  1. CadillacThe Renegades Spotify
  2. Oo! What You Do to MeFred Wise, Kay Twomey, English text, Finnish Lyrics written Spotify
  3. SatumaaReijo Taipale
  4. Kolme kitaraa

Trivia

  • One of the best movies

    The film is included on Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list.

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