Pick Mushrooms Not War

Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki was not shy in making a political point in his own rather unique way yesterday at the New York Film Festival. Scheduled to appear for an interview surrounding his new film, The Man Without a Past, the spirited Finn refused to attend after his fellow director and world-renowned movie maker, the Iranian Abbas Kiarostami, was denied a visa by the U.S. last week and could not even attend the New York premiere of his movie, Ten. In an e-mail to explain his non-appearance, Kaurismaki pointedly but gently described how he was "forced to cancel by participation