The Other Side of Hope
L'autre côté de l'espoir (v.o.s.-t.f.)
- Release Date: December 8, 2017 (limited)
- Genre: Comedy
- Director: Aki Kaurismäki
- Producer(s): Aki Kaurismäki
- Writer(s): Aki Kaurismäki
- Studio: Janus Films
- Length: 1h 40m | Classification: G
Synopsis
At the age of 50, Waldemar Wikström, a sales representative specializing in the sale of men's shirts, feels he’s due for a change in life. He decides to leave his alcoholic wife and realize his dream of opening a restaurant in Helsinki.
At the end of a difficult journey, Syrian refugee Khaled arrives in Finland by accident. A mechanic in training, he begins to go through the process of being able to stay in Helsinki and also eventually bring his sister, from whom he was separated during his exile. When his asylum application is rejected, Khaled balks at being sent back to his country, which is still at war. Despite the racist repression he experiences in the Finnish capital, Khaled finds refuge in the courtyard of Waldemar’s restaurant. Touched by Khaled’s story, the restaurateur helps him.