Much of Kaurismäki's work is centred on Helsinki, such as the film "Calamari Union", the Proletariat trilogy ("Shadows in Paradise", "Ariel" and "The Match Factory Girl") and the Finland trilogy ("Drifting Clouds", "The Man Without a Past" and "Lights in the Dusk"). His vision of Helsinki is critical and singularly unromantic. Indeed, his characters often speak about how they wish to get away from Helsinki. Some end up in Mexico ("Ariel"), others in Estonia ("Shadows in Paradise", "Calamari Union", and "Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatjana"). Kaurismäki also uses, on purpose, characters, elements and settings that hark back to the 1960s and 1970s.