It is always a challenge for any filmmaker to attempt to make a film that tackles a real-life tragedy, particularly a recent one. It is even more challenging (and impressive when it is done successfully) on the odd occasion where a filmmaker attempts to approach a particularly bleak and hopelessly despairing real-world issue through representing it as a comedy. Comedy and tragedy are reciprocating genres, and satire has been built on the desire to make light of the more problematic and divisive aspects of particular social, political or economic issues. Yet, how many films about current world issues can be considered to be heartwarming, endearing comedies that are not satirical, but rather broadly hilarious and lovingly delicate? Aki Kaurismäki has proven himself as a master of weaving together beautiful films out of the most serious and dour stories, where he is able to construct resonant morality tales in the face of hopeless circumstance. His most recent film (and his first film since 2011’s incredible Le Havre) is The Other Side of Hope (Finnish: Toivon tuolla puolen), a hilarious and moving film that is able to take a grave worldwide issue such as the European refugee crisis and create something beautifully profound, but far from dismissive or mocking, from it.

The Other Side of Hope is about two individuals. The first is Waldemar Wikström (Sakari Kuosmanen), a middle-aged clothing salesman who decides to leave his alcoholic wife and his unsuccessful profession of hawking shirts to reluctant retail outlets, and engage in another endeavor that he has a passionate drive to help succeed in any way possible – that of opening and operating a restaurant, which he manages to do, as well as inheriting a team of quirky but loyal misfits (Ilkka Koivula, Janne Hyytiäinen, and Nuppu Koivu) who come with the business. The other major character that The Other Side of Hope focuses on is Khaled Ali (Sherwan Haji), a Syrian refugee who arrives in Finland at the outset of the film, after having been forced to flee his hometown of Aleppo (where he had a successful career as a mechanic, managing to provide for his family) due to the increasingly devastating crimes against humanity taking place in that city and around the country, including the devastating deaths of every member of his family, with the exception of his sister. The two individuals meet almost by fate when Khaled takes refuge near Wikström’s restaurant, and instead of attacking the illegal immigrant (as many other locals do throughout the film), Wikström emphasizes with the displaced Khaled and hires him to work in his restaurant in a variety of positions He also assists in helping Khaled acquire illegal, falsified documents that state that he is permitted to live and work in Finland, when in actual fact, he is a fugitive who escaped after the state ruled in favor of his deportation back to his home-country of war-torn Syria.

To be completely honest, I was initially taken aback when I discovered what The Other Side of Hope was about – and the concept of this film being a heartwarming, endearing comedy that features among its many themes representations of the immigrant crisis, xenophobic violence, and European political turmoil just seemed far too abstract and impossible to execute properly in the way that the film intended to. The Other Side of Hope is not a satire, and perhaps it would have been far more obvious for it to be presented as a satire rather than as such an affectionate, inoffensive and quirky comedy. Yet, did we truly expect anything different from Aki Kaurismäki? While he may not be popularly considered an extraordinarily groundbreaking filmmaker (which is a shame, as he is one of the most tremendous European filmmakers of the last few decades), he has a distinctive style and approach that defines his films and differentiates them from the works of his predecessors and contemporaries, as well as inspiring younger filmmakers with his relentless provocations of cinematic form. The combination of Kaurismäki’s iconic visual style as well as his penchant for touching and soul-stirring comedy result in The Other Side of Hope being a highly-original and deeply honest subversion of cinematic tropes, and a film that places friendship and the search for identity as its primary theme, choosing to be uplifting and hopefully (but far from ignorant to reality) rather than entirely bleak and void of any hope.

There is one point that needs to be made exceedingly clear: it does not matter how one feels towards the immigrant crisis, whether one supports or vehemently protests to the influx of displaced refugees fleeing from war-torn countries when watching this film. The Other Side of Hope is a film that does take a certain stand on the issue but does not expect the same from the audience. It is one representation of a highly-contentious, perpetually-discussed social, political and economic issue, and one that I would be very unwise to engage in a deep analysis of, both because I am not an authority on the issue, but also because doing so would detract from the film. Such a discussion would most definitely take preference over the merits of The Other Side of Hope as a film, which I refuse to engage in through such a platform. There is a time and place for such a discussion, and honestly, a film review is not the appropriate place. The Other Side of Hope is very clear in what it wants to say, and regardless of your feelings towards the matter, it is entirely impossible to deny the marvelous merits that exist within this film, an artistic work that wears its heart on its sleeve, and tells a beautifully human story that is often heartbreaking and hilarious, usually at the exact same moment.

Aki Kaurismäki, in many of his films, creates a distinctively artificial appearance to his films. This was very rarely as overt as in The Other Side of Hope, a film that finds virtues in eccentric and offbeat storytelling, with highly original characters conveying the story. At first glance, one could be deceived into thinking the performances in this film are wooden and stilted, with many of the line-readings (particularly in instances where the dialogue is in English) being particularly unnatural. This is all done with intentional effect, conveying the sense of quaint theatricality and adding an element of hilariously farcical and good-natured humor to a film that features a very grave subject at its core. The Other Side of Hope is a very theatrical film, and the instances of physical comedy, while being far from slapstick, only accentuate the actorly nature of the film, where the expressiveness of the actors is designed to work in conjunction with the dialogue to make The Other Side of Hope a positively riveting and entertaining experience.

In terms of the performers themselves, Sherwan Haji is particularly great, playing a vulnerable and desperate, but still cunning and courageous, immigrant who is in search of a home, away from the brutal and violent situation in his home country, in hopes of starting a new life and hopefully being able to reunite with his sister, the last living person in his family. Haji’s monologues, particularly one where he describes the tragic day he lost his family and was forced to flee, was truly mesmerizing, heartbreaking acting, with the audience being able to empathize completely with his unbearably sad situation, and by extent, the plight of the countless number of refugees who have been displaced and are searching for a peaceful sanctuary. Sakari Kuosmanen is also extremely good, playing the equally vulnerable Wikström, who is taking a leap of faith of his own by essentially reestablishing his entire existence by undertaking an entirely new career-choice, despite approaching his twilight years. The chemistry between actors has always been a notable feature in many of Kaurismäki’s films, and The Other Side of Hope is absolutely not an exception, with the two leads playing off each other extremely well in a more pleasant and well-intentioned but no less entertaining “odd couple” scenario, where friendship is made imperative to the story. In terms of supporting performances, I have to note that Ilkka Koivula is also an unheralded scene-stealer, adding so much authentic gravitas to the film through his gloriously offbeat performance as Calamnius, the conniving but loyal doorman who Wikström befriends when he buys the restaurant. The cast is filled with dedicated and endearing performances, each performer playing off the other well in this film’s deeply meaningful and often very funny execution.

The distinctive visual style is also so distinctive here – but unlike filmmakers such as Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, and of course Wes Anderson (a great filmmaker and someone who I am so sure was inspired by Kaurismäki in some way, particularly in their good-natured, visually-delectable tales of outsiders looking for meaning), it never feels like intention of this film is to be idiosyncratic or entirely visually-delectable in its artifice (not that there is anything wrong with a more visually-stunning, kitsch-inspired aesthetic) – the small cadences in the cinematography and the way in which shots are framed, as well as the stunningly beautiful use of color to juxtapose the obviously very bleak story is what sets this apart from other films. Kaurismäki makes wonderfully offbeat use of space (in this regard, many shots reminded me of Kaurismäki’s fellow iconoclastic Nordic filmmaker, Roy Andersson). The warmth of the execution only highlights the inherently tragic nature of the underlying message.

Despite adoring this film, I do need to make one admission: I found the first act of The Other Side of Hope to be quite dull. It feels too slow, and the alternating narratives of the two main characters feel a quite forced and do not make much sense. It almost felt like a rare misstep from a director who is normally consistently great at telling fascinating, well-rounded stories. However, as the film progressed, so did my admiration – comedy and tragedy became blurred in an effortlessly solid account of friendship and finding oneself in the face of a crisis. The way in which The Other Side of Hope manages to find hope and joy in the most tragic of circumstances is truly extraordinary, and already puts this film as one of the best of the year, simply because of its relentless dedication to telling a very true human story – it isn’t manipulative or falsely sentimental, nor does it make light of the subject matter that forms the backdrop of this film. There are many forays into looking very seriously into the immigrant crisis, but not in a way that this film could be perceived as making an enveloping, general statement about the situation, but rather in showing the troublesome and laborious effort many refugees have to go through in order to get themselves or their families out of harm’s way, and what can happen if they are not welcomed into the country that they feel could be their comforting sanctuary. It does not attempt to essentialize the experience of all refugees, nor does it portray them in any way other than simply being human. The balance between comedy and drama in The Other Side of Hope is truly deft and magnificent, and the fine line that Kaurismäki navigates so eloquently throughout this film is staggering.

The Other Side of Hope is a truly extraordinary film. Structured as something akin to a morality tale, it is a heartwarmingly funny film that still carries quite an emotional load in terms of looking at a modern humanitarian crisis, and the effects hostile war situations can have on individuals. It is a film that looks at the elusive concept of finding a home, both literal and metaphorical, and at its core, it is about two displaced men looking to find some meaning. Lovely performances from the two leads, as well as stunningly beautiful visual flair makes The Other Side of Hope an absolute triumph of a film, and another success in the wonderful career of the cinematic genius that is Aki Kaurismäki. The Other Side of Hope is most certainly one of the best films of the year – funny and tragic in equal parts, and simply a unique and original film that has a strong message, and undeniable heart and soul, which will move even the most cynical of viewers. A truly tremendous piece of cinema, and a truly effortless combination of poignant pathos and heartfelt humor

P.S. The Other Side of Hope earns even more merits by having one of the most beautiful titles of the year, as well as the best soundtrack, which only elevates this already incredible and emotional film.