Finnish actor Markku Peltola, most famous for playing the amnesiac protagonist of Aki Kaurismäki's sweet yet absurd Mies vailla menneisyyttä (The Man Without a Past), died in the early hours of December 31, Finnish media reported. He had been ill for some time. Peltola worked with Kaurismäki several times, including for Kauas pilvet karkaavat (Drifting Clouds) from 1996, which together with The Man Without a Past and 2006's Laitakaupungin valot (Lights in the Dusk) forms a trilogy. He also starred in Aleksi Mäkelä's private eye stories and local box-office hits Vares and its sequel V2. Peltola recently wrapped the Estonian feature Ma olin siin (I Was Here) for director René Vilbre, in which he plays the father of a 17-year-old drug dealer. The film is based on a novel by Sass Henno and will be released in Estonia in September.

(photo: Peltola in Mies vailla menneisyyttä, (c) Pandora Film Verleih)