The oeuvre of Aki Kaurismäki is not as homogeneous as the oeuvre of Yasujiro Ozu, but nevertheless it is not very difficult to pinpoint some recurring elements in his films. These recurring elements are:
Helsinki, a city with long, dark winters and a somewhat dreary atmosphere.
Characters that have seen better times, accentuated by rock and roll and a lot of booze and cigarettes.
Characters that have the heart in the right place.
"The other side of hope" (2017) can be seen as a follow up of "Le Havre" (2011), Kaurismaki's previous film. Both films are about a refugee that is taken care of by a typical Kuarismäki character. This typical Kaurismäki character, with his heart in the right place, acts contrary to the current public opinion of closed borders.
Remarkable about "Le Havre" was that it was, as the title already indicates, situated outside Finland. With "The other side of hope" Kaurismäki returns to his beloved Helsinki.
More important in my opinion is that in "The other side pf hope" the relationship between the refugee and the Kaurismäki character is more balanced in the sense that the Kaurismäki characters has also just begun a new life in his own country.
The title of "The other side of hope" sounds not very optimistic. Is the other side of hope not despair? By the end of the film it turns out that it is not that dramatic. The other side of hope is more hope!
Helsinki, a city with long, dark winters and a somewhat dreary atmosphere.
Characters that have seen better times, accentuated by rock and roll and a lot of booze and cigarettes.
Characters that have the heart in the right place.
"The other side of hope" (2017) can be seen as a follow up of "Le Havre" (2011), Kaurismaki's previous film. Both films are about a refugee that is taken care of by a typical Kuarismäki character. This typical Kaurismäki character, with his heart in the right place, acts contrary to the current public opinion of closed borders.
Remarkable about "Le Havre" was that it was, as the title already indicates, situated outside Finland. With "The other side of hope" Kaurismäki returns to his beloved Helsinki.
More important in my opinion is that in "The other side pf hope" the relationship between the refugee and the Kaurismäki character is more balanced in the sense that the Kaurismäki characters has also just begun a new life in his own country.
The title of "The other side of hope" sounds not very optimistic. Is the other side of hope not despair? By the end of the film it turns out that it is not that dramatic. The other side of hope is more hope!