Film: “The Other Side of Hope” (Toivon Tuolla Puolen)

The newest feature from Finland’s most celebrated auteur follows the unpredictable exploits of a Syrian refugee in Helsinki. Searching for his sister and facing deportation back to Aleppo, Khaled (Haji) escapes a holding center and finds an unlikely group of protectors: the owner and staff of a failing restaurant. Filled with Kaurismäki’s patented deadpan humor, The Other Side of Hope ultimately offers a moving, humane depiction of a city and its big-hearted denizens.