A political drama set in the fictional country of Illyria between 1943 and 1945, the story is about the assassination of a leading politician. The country, an ally of Nazi Germany, is on the verge of being annexed to the Eastern Bloc. Kaurismäki's TV adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartre's play Les Mains Sales (Dirty Hands) tells the story of Hugo (Matti Pellonpää) who has just been released from prison. Before going to prison, he has worked as a journalist at his party's newspaper. This timid journalist, who uses the pseudonym Raskolnikov, wants to advance in his career and gets his chance when Hoederer (Sulevi Peltola), the leader of the party, has to be eliminated.
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Cast
12 people
Sulevi Peltola
Hoederer
Known for
Deadwind
Lights in the Dusk
Matti Pellonpää
Hugo Barine
Known for
Shadows in Paradise
Leningrad Cowboys Go America
Kati Outinen
Jessica Barine
Known for
The Match Factory Girl
Le Havre
Kaija Pakarinen
Olga
Known for
The Other Side of Hope
The Man Without a Past
Pertti Sveholm
Louis
Known for
Deadwind
The Man Without a Past
Kari Väänänen
Ivan
Known for
Leningrad Cowboys Go America
Drifting Clouds
Pirkka-Pekka Petelius
Slick
Known for
Hamlet Goes Business
Calamari Union
Aake Kalliala
Georges
Known for
Rendel
Hamlet Goes Business
Esko Nikkari
Karsky
Known for
The Match Factory Girl
Shadows in Paradise
Hannu Lauri
Ruhtinas
Known for
Crime and Punishment
Hannu Viholainen
Charles
Known for
Ariel
Asmo Hurula
Frantz
Known for
Calamari Union
Rocky VI
Aki Kaurismäki Director · Jean-Paul Sartre Author Matti Kurkikangas Cinematographer
First release October 5, 1989 · Produced in Finland · Production YLE
Production
Sputnik
Production
YLE
Production
Finland
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Likaiset kädet
Original language
Finnish
Spoken on screen
Finnish
Release dates
Finland · October 5, 1989
TV · YLE TV1
No release date listed for United States.
Finland
November 26, 2015 · TV · Yle Teema
Italy
June 27, 2015 · Theatrical
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Some details come from TheTVDB.