Aki Kaurismäki's refugee drama 'The Other Side of Hope'
The film by the cult Finnish director obtained a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, and now it is being released in Germany's cinemas.
Two men, one film
Kaurismäki's films are characterized by odd figures; in his latest movie, he once again offers two wonderful characters: the Syrian refugee Khaled Ali, played by Sherwan Haji (left) and Waldemar Wikström in the role of Sakari Kuosmanen, who's just left his job as a sales representative for menswear and decides to open a restaurant.
A winning filmmaker
The Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki obtained the Silver Bear for best director for "The Other Side of Hope" at the award ceremony of the 67th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2017.
Finland's hospitality
Kaurismäki shows how refugees might feel when they land in a foreign country after a long and dangerous journey to flee their home country. This also includes, in the best cases, hospitality. After initial difficulties, Khaled is warmly welcomed by the staff of the restaurant where he also starts working.
Depicting difficulties
Despite the optimistic and idealist approach of the film, Aki Kaurismäki also depicts the Syrian refugee's painful experiences in Finland. Khaled Ali's asylum application is rejected, even though he comes from bombed-out Aleppo. He is attacked by Finnish neo-Nazis, and life in the asylum seekers' accommodation center is characterized by hardship and deprivation.
Kaurismäki's sense of style
"The Other Side of Hope" features Kaurismäki's typical aesthetic style - including references to the history of cinema, a balanced combination of humor and seriousness, well-directed actors, and an original selection of music.
Praise in Berlin
At the Berlinale, the film presented by Kaurismäki (left) and his actors - including Nuppu Koivu and Sherwan Haji, shown here - quickly became a critics' and public's favorite. "The Other Side of Hope" provokes laughter while inspiring reflection by addressing the fate of asylum seekers.
Aki Kaurismäki's 'Le Havre'
The Finnish filmmaker had already dealt with the topic in his last film, long before Europe faced its large wave of refugees coming from the Middle East and elsewhere. In 2011, Kaurismäki presented his film "Le Havre" in Cannes. It tells the story of a meeting between a former author turned shoe shiner and an underage refugee from Africa.
The second film of a trilogy
The filmmaker sees "The Other Side of Hope" as the second part of a trilogy about flight and displacement. Kaurismäki, pictured here during the Berlinale awards ceremony, asked at a press conference in the German capital: "Where the hell is our humanity? If we are not humans, who the hell are we?"