The Other Side of Hope (Toivon tuolla puolen)
A poker-playing restaurateur and former traveling salesman befriends a group of refugees newly arrived to Finland.
5 February 1933, Helsinki, Finland
11 February 1969, Jyväskylä, Finland
14 June 1975, Finland
7 March 1959, Harjavalta, Finland
23 August 1968, Helsinki, Finland
1957, Kuusankoski, Finland
6 June 1971, Valkeala, Finland
August 20, 2018
The director's seamless politics and rock 'n' roll style have been evolved in the past decade, and The Other Side of Hope feels like a crystallization of sorts. It finds the perfect harmony between off-kilter strangeness and essential acts of humanity.June 01, 2018
In other words, every moment in this movie is pure heaven. And what it has to say is urgent.December 14, 2017
This kindhearted, unsentimental movie is a good way to celebrate Finland, which celebrated its 100th anniversary as a free nation last week.March 30, 2018
[There] is not a false note in the film's humanity, despite a reality that at times seems entirely cinematic.December 08, 2017
One couldn't help but think of the obvious, heavy-handed messaging we'd be spared if all directors followed Kaurismäki's expert smuggling techniques.December 15, 2017
Blues musicians in Finland. Who know there was such a thing?December 08, 2017
The guiding ethic of The Other Side of Hope is as much topical as it universal: that altruism is not especially brave or courageous, but just the basic principle governing relations between human beings.December 13, 2017
It's refreshing to see a film about the refugee crisis that doesn't rely on cliche, but the fact remains: The mundane is mundane.July 04, 2018
deals in deadpan, but sympathetic and humanist terms with the thorny issue of immigrationMarch 28, 2018
Most of the characters face a daily question: to be kind or unkind. Kaurismaki builds a heroic narrative around that idea.January 11, 2018
Finnish films have been generating buzz lately. "Tom of Finland" and "The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki" have found a small, if enthusiastic, audience...Aki Kaurismäki's charmingly deadpan "The Other Side of Hope" should follow a similar path.April 19, 2018
If you're a fan of Kaurismäki, you're already there. If you're a newbie and curious, this is a perfect opportunity to dip your toe in, as it's representative of his finest work.