Trivia

When winning the Grand Prix price in Cannes for his film El hombre sin pasado (2002), he first thanked himself and then the judges, then he walked off.

Although Laitakaupungin valot (2006) was chosen to be Finland's nominee at the The 78th Annual Academy Awards (2006), he decided to boycott the ceremony again and refused the nomination as a protest against the US foreign policy.

Although being nominated for El hombre sin pasado (2002), he refused to attend the The 75th Annual Academy Awards (2003), noting he didn't feel like partying in a nation that is currently in a state of war (2003).

His film Rikos ja rangaistus (1983) is based on Dostoyevsky's famous novel. Kaurismäki decided to make the film after he had read a book about Alfred Hitchcock written by François Truffaut where Hitchcock said he would never touch that book to make a film of it because it was too difficult. Kaurismäki admitted it was too difficult, but still the film was well received and now remains as a classic Finnish motion picture.

Moved to Portugal to live there with his wife Paula Oinonen, a painter.

Is famous for saying in interviews that he has directed half of his films while sober and half when drunk, and yet nobody can tell them apart.

Kaurismäki has said that he will retire after directing 20 feature films.

10.10.2015 Aleksis Kivi Society awarded him "Eskon puumerkki", which is annually given to persons, who have shown to have genuine Finnish obstinacy and self-will and with help of these attributes like Esko of Nummisuutarit (Heath Cobblers) has carved his signature into the chronicles.

Has been influenced by directors such as Jean-Pierre Melville and Robert Bresson.

Was turned down from a film school.

He has been influenced above all by Marcel Carné.

A fan of the french director Jean-Pierre Melville.

Lives in Portugal since 1989.

His last name, Kaurismäki, means 'deer hill' (hill of the deer) in Finnish.

Studied media studies at the University of Helsinki.

Studied journalism at the University of Tampere.

His father was a salesman.

Brother of Mika Kaurismäki.