A (rail)road movie that takes us all the way to the Arctic Circle. Truck driver Hannes’ beloved hobby is railway timetables. His dream is to compete at the first “International Timetable Contest” in Inari, Finland. When his boss refuses his request for vacation time, Hannes knocks him unconscious and takes off for Finland. When the boss is discovered dead, Hannes becomes the prime suspect and sharp-witted police detective Frank sets out on his trail. Skilfully rendered on the Finnish model, the laconic travel film takes the path less travelled by mainstream cinema. This mixture of thriller, comedy and love story was a big hit with audiences, not least of all due to charming footage of the Finnish landscape, with Kaurismäki stars Kati Outinen (“Tatjana”) and Kari Väänänen (“Rosso”) lending authenticity to the proceedings.