Cha Cha Cha

1989 1h 32m FI

👍

7.0

SOLID

⭐

6.2

IMDB

★7.0TMDB · 10★6.2IMDB · 285

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A lawyer pays a visit to Matti Ojanperä, a bum living under a bridge in the Helsinki harbour, to inform him that he is about to inherit an American aunt of his. The sum 1,000,000 Fmk would be his, if only he meets the qualifications set by his aunt. He must show that he is capable of 'living properly' and possessing a 'respectable occupation and a family he can support'. Otherwise the money would go to a foundation the chairman of which the lawyer himself happens to be!

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Kari Väänänen
Kari Pöllänen
Matti Pellonpää
Matti Ojanperä
Sanna Fransman
Sanna Pöllänen
Siiri Nordin
Siiri Pöllänen
Soli Labbart
Gundula Valley, "American aunt"
Martti Pennanen
Lawyer
Hannu Lauri
Kempele, speculator on the stock exchange
Antti Litja
Drunkard #1

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mika Kaurismäki
Writers: Mika Kaurismäki, Richard Reitinger
Languages: Finnish
Countries: Finland, Sweden

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Finland, Sweden.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mika Kaurismäki, shot by Timo Salminen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Anssi Tikanmäki. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mika Kaurismäki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kari Väänänen and Matti Pellonpää and Sanna Fransman carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0097035 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 10 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mika Kaurismäki directs. Timo Salminen behind the camera. Anssi Tikanmäki scores. Mika Kaurismäki cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Finland, Sweden. Dialogue in Finnish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

137 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 2 countries: Finland, Sweden.
3Directed by Mika Kaurismäki, shot by Timo Salminen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Anssi Tikanmäki. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Mika Kaurismäki shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Kari Väänänen and Matti Pellonpää and Sanna Fransman carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0097035 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 10 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.