The Other Side of Hope

Khaled arrives at the port of Helsinki concealed in a coal container, fleeing war-torn Syria to seek asylum in Finland. Dazed and frustrated by the monolithic administration he encounters at the detention centre, he makes a break for it and heads out onto the streets. There he meets Wikström, a former shirt salesman who has recently left his alcoholic wife for a new life as a bachelor restaurateur. Together, they help each other to navigate the adversities they face in these unfamiliar and often baffling new worlds.

Winner of the 2017 Berlin Silver Bear for Best Director, The Other Side of Hope is a beautiful, timely film that proves cinema's power to tell stories that matter, with beauty and heart.

The Other Side of Hope, dir. Aki Kaurismäki, Finland/Germany 2017, 98 mins