THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE (Toivon tuolla puolen)

DIRECTOR: Aki Kaurismäki
SCREENPLAY: Aki Kaurismäki
DOP: Timo Salminen
EDITOR: Samu Heikkilä
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Aki Kaurismäki
COSTUME DESIGN: Tiina Kaukanen
CAST: Sherwan Haji, Sakari Kuosmanen, Ilkka Koivula, Janne Hyytiäinen, Nuppu Koivu, Kaija Pakarinen, Niroz Haji, Simon Hussein Al-Bazoon

PRODUCER: Aki Kaurismäki
PRODUCTION: Sputnik
CO-PRODUCTION: Bufo, Pandora Film (DE)
CO-PRODUCERS: Misha Jaari, Mark Lwoff, Reinhard Brundig
DISTRIBUTION: Discovery Film
WORLD SALES: The Match Factory

Khaled Ali is a Syrian refugee who has escaped the war in Aleppo and stowed away on a coal freighter, seeking asylum in Helsinki. Meanwhile, travelling shirt salesman Wikström leaves his wife and his profession, and turns into a poker shark. With the money, he buys a shabby restaurant The Golden Pint. The two narratives collide with delightfully unpredictable results.

Aki Kaurismäki (1957) makes films characterised by dry humour, a simple style and understated acting: Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989), The Man Without a Past (2012), for which he won the Golden Palm for Best Director, Le Havre (2011), to name a few.

2017 Ι 98’ Ι Finland / Germany Ι drama / comedy

International Berlin Film Festival 2017 (Best Director), Dublin International Film Festival 2017 (Best Actor)