THE OTHER SIDE OF HOPE

Finland, 2017, 98 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Aki Kaurismaki.

The Other Side of Hope is a humane film looking at the refugee situation in Europe during the years of the civil war in Syria. There were national crises in various countries of Europe, especially in Eastern Europe, with borders being blocked. On the other hand, refugees were welcomed in Germany as well as the more northern countries, especially in Scandinavia.

It is been directed by one of Finland’s pre-eminent directors, Aki Kaurismaki, who has had to long career, sometimes with comedies and music, sometimes with filmss about relationships, and often with a social conscience.

It is clear where the director’s stance on refugees is as we look at the title.

The opens dramatically at a wharf in Helsinki, the camera focusing on a cargo of coal and a man emerging from the coal, covered in soft, but making is way out of the ship, walking the streets, finding a place to shower, and then handing himself into the police asking for asylum status. In fact, the police seem sympathetic and help him with his situation. Soon there are sequences where he is being examined by immigration officials and we hear his story, a mechanic in Damascus, returning home to find his house flattened and his parents dead, getting help from his boss, the father of his dead fiancé, to pay people smugglers to get himself and his sister out of Syria, into Turkey and across to Greece.

At the closed border of Hungary, he is separated from his sister and has spent a great deal of time and effort travelling around the Balkans and into Eastern Europe to find her. He is helped onto a ship and finds himself in Finland.

The central character, Khalid, is a very sympathetic young man and the audience is on his side hoping that he will be given refugee status – but one of the hard aspects of the film is hearing the presiding official in the court declaring, despite the audience seeing the bombings and terrible suffering in Damascus on the television, that it is safe for him to return to Syria. He effects an escape and disappears.

The film has also introduced us to a businessman, a salesman packing and leaving his wife who is alcoholic. He sells his stock of shirts and decides to buy a restaurant, and in the under-the-counter kind of deal, the previous owner takes the money and literally runs to the airport, not paying his staff. But, since the central characters of this film are quite genial, a situation arises where the owner takes out the rubbish and finds Khalid huddling in the street. It is not hard to guess where this is going to lead, with Khalid getting a job in the restaurant, getting a forged passport rather easily, dealing with the eccentric members of the staff who provide touches of comedy in their performances. There is also some comedy as the restaurant owner tries out different ways of generating business including turning the restaurant into a sushi centre with Japanese tourists and then a curry centre…

With the story being gentle on the whole, it should mean that there is a sympathetic audience, ready to appreciate the refugee situation. And this is added to by the picture of various groups of neo-Nazis, bashings and the ugly face of bigotry.

This is a film of its time touching on the sensibilities and sensitivities, especially of Europeans, but of all people facing the mass migrations of the early 21st century and those intent on closing borders.

1. The impact of the film? The topical subject, Europe in 2015 and 2016, the crowds of refugees, the welcomes, the caution, the closing of borders? Refugees from the civil war in Syria, from Iraq? The Finland response?

2. The director, his interest in the situation, the sympathy with the refugees, his sympathy with kindly to, his dislike of the neo-Nazi types? The situations, sardonic? The characters partly oddball with the deadpan humour? The picture of the authorities?

3. The musical score, the range of songs, the range of performers, inserted throughout the film?

4. The opening, the view of Helsinki, Finland, the European city look, the walls, Khalid emerging from the coal, covered in sort, out in the street, the music, giving the coin, information about the shower, to being transformed, going to the police, requesting asylum?

5. The police, politeness, their routines, interviews? The official, listening to the story, the translator’s presence? A Syrian story, his being a mechanic, in Aleppo, the business and home being bombed, the death of all his family except his sister, with her, his boss and the money granted, the father of his dead fiancee? To Turkey, $3000 for the smuggler, in Greece, moving up the Balkans, passing through borders, brother and sister being separated, his wandering, the search, the borders closed in Hungary, going to Serbia, Germany, Poland, the police in Danzig, stowing away, help on board, his emerging, the application, the officials, handcuffs, in the room at the centre, talking to his friend, hoping for phone calls from his sister, the helper, the hearing, the statement that Aleppo was safe – and the television news showing the opposite? Khalid as quiet, ready, the assistant at the centre opening the door, his smashing the window, getting out, living in the street near the garbage? What hopes?

6. Wickstrom, his age, getting dressed, his wife and her drinking, leaving the key in the ring, his shirts, his case, going to the motel, selling the shirts, a friendly salesman, trying to sell all his goods, the woman wanting an exciting life in Mexico and she him down, interest in the restaurant, the agent, the payment in cash, the agent taking his fee instantly, the deal, the old owner going straight to the airport with the cash, not paying his staff?

7. The staff, the oddball characters, the deadpan humour, the woman and her being an intern, learning, the man at the door, his appearance, his remarks, the chef with a cigarette in his mouth all the time? Their going to see the boss, his giving the money? The customers, the meals, sardines, meatballs, customers coming for the beers?

8. The inspection, the legislation, the rubbish, hiding the dog? Surviving?

9. Khalid and the encounter with Wickstrom, the fight, his inviting him in the meal, the staff, their kindness, his being hired, having to hide with the dog when the inspectors came? He is living in the storage room? The various attempts at new ideas, sushi, the Japanese look, the customers?

10. The young contact for forging the documents, the cost, Wickstrom paying, and the police accepting it in the street?

11. News of his sister, the truck driver, going to Lithuania, bringing his sister back, the inspection of the interior of the truck, her strong mindedness, the happy reunion, her wanting to go to the police to seek asylum?

12. The background of neo-Nazis, listening to the music, demonstrations, the physical attacks, the old and disabled people knocking the neo-Nazis and frightening them away? The man returning, stabbing Khalid? Khalid going to his sister, her going to the police, his sitting under the tree?

13. Wickstrom, going to the kiosk, finding his wife, and her not drinking, driving her home?

14. The title and the theme of hope – especially with the kindness of strangers?