The Other Side of Hope 2017

As Waldemar (character name not provided), a wandering shirt salesman, finds himself at an impasse with his wife, he seizes the opportunity to abandon his business and peddle his remaining stock. The subsequent windfall from a poker game propels him into a new entrepreneurial venture: purchasing a restaurant in Helsinki’s bustling streets. Initially, his three employees are skeptical of Waldemar’s attempts to revitalize their eatery, but their doubts are soon assuaged by the salesman’s infectious enthusiasm and flair for the dramatic.

Meanwhile, Khaled (actor not provided), a Syrian refugee, arrives illegally on a cargo ship in Helsinki, only to turn himself in to the authorities and apply for asylum. At the processing facility, he forms an unlikely bond with Mazdak, an Iraqi refugee, as they commiserate about their shared experiences of displacement. Khaled’s search for his sister, Miriam, who vanished during their perilous journey through the Balkans, becomes an all-consuming quest, and Mazdak agrees to aid him in this endeavor.

However, when the government rejects Khaled’s asylum application, he is forced into hiding. It is here that Waldemar encounters Khaled, taking pity on his plight and offering him refuge within his restaurant. As Khaled regains his footing, Waldemar and his staff assist him in securing new documents, paving the way for his integration into Finnish society.

As Mazdak eventually receives word of Miriam’s whereabouts, Waldemar and Khaled concoct a daring plan to smuggle her from Lithuania, where she is being held in a refugee facility. The reunion between Khaled and his long-lost sister is nothing short of miraculous, filling their hearts with hope and renewal.

But just as it seems that Khaled has finally found solace, he becomes the victim of a vicious racist attack, leaving him severely injured on the banks of a river. Waldemar returns to find his friend sitting beneath a tree, a small dog’s tender ministrations a poignant reminder of the power of human connection in the face of adversity.