Mika Kaurismäki studied cinema in Munich , Germany , at the Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen ( 1977 – 1981 ) ; '' The Liar '' ( 1980 ) , made in Finland , was his diplom film . His younger brother Aki Kaurismäki , then a student of journalism , played the main role and also co-wrote the screenplay . After the success of '' The Liar '' , Mika Kaurismäki decided to stay in Finland and together with his brother and some friends he founded the production company Villealfa Filmproductions , which soon became a home of vital low - or no-budget film making ; by the end of the 1980s it was the third biggest film production company of all time in Finland . The Villealfa film family consisted of many colleagues and friends in addition to the Kaurismäki brothers , including the actors Matti Pellonpää and Kari Väänänen and the cinematographer Timo Salminen . Mika 's 1984 film '' The Clan – Tale of the Frogs '' was entered into the 14th Moscow International Film Festival
14th Moscow International Film Festival
14th Moscow International Film Festival
Mika Kaurismäki