2017 | Finland, Germany | NR | 100 min.
Acclaimed auteur Aki Kaurismäki is like the Finnish Wes Anderson, and if you’ve never experienced his work,this is the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself to a master. In this winner of Berlinale's prestigious Silver Bear, Kaurismäki turns his quirky eye to Europe’s migrant crisis, following a Syrian refugee searching for hislost sister while hiding out in a restaurant storeroom. The Other Side of Hope deftly toes the line of keeping things light-hearted and comedic without sugarcoating the issues (such as the far-right nationalist threat spreading throughout Europe). Like Kaurismäki’s other films, this one is populated with colorful and sympathetic outcasts—people who lack autonomy over their own lives. But also like his other films, this one never loses track of the uplifting silver lining that unceasingly shines through.