The Other Side of Hope

press release:

Finland | 2017 | 35mm | 98 min. | Finnish, Arabic with English subtitles

Director: Aki Kaurismäki;Cast: Sherwan Haji, Sakari Kuosmanen, Ilkka Koivula

The newest feature from Finland’s most celebrated auteur follows the unpredictable exploits of a Syrian refugee in Helsinki. Searching for his sister and facing deportation back to Aleppo, Khaled (Haji) escapes a holding center and finds an unlikely group of protectors: the owner and staff of a failing restaurant. Filled with Kaurismäki’s patented deadpan humor, The Other Side of Hope ultimately offers a moving, humane depiction of a city and its big-hearted denizens. Presented with support from UW Madison’s Middle Eastern Studies program.

Premiere Showcase is the Cinematheque’s effort to bring the boldest and most exciting new cinema back to the big screen. Crafted with the same curat­orial acuity we bring to our repertory series, Premiere Showcase presents exciting new work by contem­porary directors that would otherwise have no theatrical venue in the area. Our selections for this calendar begin with Agnès Varda’s whimsical road movie Faces Places. Also included are Aki Kaurismäki’s funny and moving The Other Side of Hope, shown in a rarefied new 35mm print; The Insult, a powerful new movie from Lebanon; and, part of our annual LACIS selections, new movies from South American directors Lucrecia Martel (Zama) and Daniela Thomas (Vazante).

All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.