The Other Side of Hope 2017

In Helsinki, the story unfolds with Waldemar Sakari Kuosmanen, a traveling shirt salesman who has a heated argument with his wife, leading him to abandon her. Determined to change his life, he liquidates his remaining stock and gambles his earnings during a poker game, where fortune smiles upon him as he wins a substantial sum. With his newfound wealth, he takes a bold step and purchases a restaurant, but his three employees are initially skeptical of his strategies to breathe new life into their establishment.

Meanwhile, Khaled Sherwan Haji, a Syrian refugee, arrives in Helsinki clandestinely aboard a cargo ship. Once he disembarks, he promptly turns himself into the authorities and files for asylum. At the refugee processing center, he forges a friendship with Mazdak, an Iraqi refugee. Desperate to locate his sister, Miriam, who went missing during their perilous journey across the Balkans escaping the Syrian Civil War, Khaled turns to Mazdak for assistance. When Khaled’s asylum request is abruptly denied, he decides to take matters into his own hands and escapes.

Destiny brings Khaled to Waldemar’s doorstep, where he finds shelter from the storm. Waldemar not only takes him in but also offers him a job within his restaurant. With the support of Waldemar and his team, Khaled navigates the complex process of obtaining new identification papers. Eventually, Mazdak drops a glimmer of hope when he learns of Miriam’s whereabouts. Together, Waldemar and Khaled arrange for a trucker to smuggle her out from a refugee facility in Lithuania. The long-awaited reunion between Khaled and Miriam occurs, filled with emotion and relief.

However, tragedy strikes when Khaled faces horrific racism upon his return to Waldemar’s apartment. A brutal thug confronts him, leading to a violent attack where Khaled is stabbed, leaving him on the verge of death. Returning home, Waldemar is met with a shocking sight—pools of blood that send him racing outside, where he discovers Khaled nestled under a tree by the riverside, smiling peacefully as a small dog playfully licks his face. This striking moment encapsulates the themes of resilience and hope amid despair, demonstrating the bond formed between these two men from vastly different worlds.