Program Note
Risto and Arto are on the verge of the abyss of their lives. Risto is addicted to gambling, even using the money for his son's birthday present, and Arto is recently diagnosed as having lost 85% of his brain. The two, who need a new phase in their lives, start a hearse business, but they fall into a deeper hole when they become entangled with a mop that runs an illegal Russian roulette game show. Death Is a Problem for the Living is a black comedy by Teemu Nikki, who is leading contemporary Finnish cinema with his recent prolific work. Risto and Arto's choice to survive is to make a living through the deaths of others. But soon, this puts them at a crossroads between life and death. Like other characters in the director's previous works, these cartoon-like, somewhat exaggerated characters represent the very anxiety of ordinary people who endure the absurdities of life that no human can escape. It's funny, but it's too uncomfortable to just laugh it off. Maybe it's the bitter truth of all of our lives. (Jin PARK)