The Other Side of Hope

Khaled (Sherwan Haji), a young Syrian, arrives in Helsinki as a stowaway. There he wants to apply for asylum without great expectations of his future. Wikström (Sakari Kuosmanen) is a traveling salesman for men's shirts and ties. Once in the middle of life, he left his wife, gave up his job and made a name for himself as a poker player for a short time. With the little money he makes, he buys a run-down restaurant in a secluded street in Helsinki. When the Finnish authorities decide to send Khaled back to the ruins of Aleppo, he decides to stay in the country illegally. Wikström finds him sleeping in the courtyard in front of his restaurant. Maybe he sees something of himself in this man. In any case, he employs Khaled as a cleaner and dishwasher.