For her role Heiskanen won the Gold Plaque Award in Chicago International Film Festival for the Best Actress in 1992.
In Finland Heiskanen has worked with Aki Kaurismäki in Lights in the Dusk (2006).
She also played in Aleksi Salmenperä's A Man's Work (2007) and was nominated for Jussi Awards from both performances.
In 2008, Heiskanen starred in the leading role of Jan Troell's Everlasting Moments, for which she won the Guldbagge Award for Best Actress and the Best Actress Award from Valladolid International Film Festival.
It also made the January shortlist for Best Foreign Language Film at the 81st Academy Awards, but wasn't selected as one of the final nominees.