Aki Kaurismäki named as youngest Academician of Art

As a young man, Aki Kaurismäki worked for the Finnish tabloid Ilta-Sanomat, wishing to become a writer. He ended up being a film director instead.
      Millions of audiences and hundreds of interviews later, the 51-year-old director carries an image of being a friend of the poor and an enemy of the rich.
      Today, he lives in a wooden house in the town of Karkkila in Southern Finland and drives a Volvo station wagon.
      In April the Arts Council of Finland proposed that Aki Kaurismäki be named an Academician representing the Finnish film industry, to succeed film director Rauni Mollberg who died last autumn.
      President Tarja Halonen confirmed the title today - Friday.
     
Academician is an honorary title which can be given to persons of outstanding merit representing science and the arts. There can be no more than eight Academicians representing the arts at any one time.
      Kaurismäki is the youngest of the eight living academicians, while the other seven academicians representing the arts are: poet and playwright Paavo Haavikko, graphic artist Outi Heiskanen, theatre and film director Ralf Långbacka, architect Juha Leiviskä, writer Veijo Meri, textile designer Vuokko Nurmesniemi, and conductor and composer Jorma Panula.
     
We will have a larger report on Aki Kaurismäki in our weeklies next Tuesday.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Aki Kaurismäki: "Where have all those years gone?" (31.1.2006)
  Film director Aki Kaurismäki to be named as Academician (3.4.2008)

Links:
  Arts Council of Finland
  Academy of Finland
  Aki Kaurismäki (Wikipedia)
  Aki Kaurismäki at the IMDb