During the War in Syria, there was once a photo that brushed our screens. The photo was taken on the beach, where a little boy in a red vest and blue cowboys lay across. The photos are vividly colored and seem to be full of life. However, the fact is that when fleeing the war-torn motherland, he unfortunately fell into the water and drowned.
Among the many film genres, there will always be some maverick styles. Unlike the traffic faction that is now popular on the big screen, many directors are better at telling stories in unique ways of expression. They don't have grand set designs and don't invite a huge star cast. Sometimes plain, sometimes slightly heart-wrenching. But it can always touch the deepest part of our hearts, so that we can't let go of it for a long time after watching the movie, and the aftertaste is endless. Finnish director Aki Korismaki may be unfamiliar to everyone. But to talk about his achievements is indeed to be enlightened. He is not only a national treasure of Finland, but also a regular at European film awards. Today, Xiaobian will bring you one of his works "The Other Side of Hope"
The story is divided into two main lines to unfold, and the protagonist No. 1 is named Khalid. During the War in Syria, a missile landed on the roof and flattened his home. Except for himself and his sister, all the others were tragically killed. After burying their families, in order to survive, the brothers and sisters joined the fleeing army. While passing through the Hungarian border, border guards stationed there dispersed the refugees. The siblings also dispersed, Khalid was too tired to run to a coal carrier to put on a rest, and his sister was rescued by well-wishers to a Lithuanian refugee camp because she was lost.
Khalid got off the coal carrier and found himself in Finland. He first found a place to wash himself, and then went to the public security bureau, hoping to get asylum from the Finnish government and inquire about his sister in a relatively safe environment. However, finland has a growing number of refugees, and the conditions for applying for residence and work are very demanding. Although Khalid honestly recounted his tragic experience and appeals to the current situation, he still failed to pass the Finnish police's request for asylum. The officers were sentenced on the spot to be repatriated to Khalid the next day and back to Syria.
The situation in Syria, which was broadcast on the news at night, was still tense, and Khalid would not be able to return to his war-torn homeland if he wanted to find his sister. So Khalid wanted to ask the female investigator for sympathy, but fortunately the female investigator was kinder and helped Khalid jump the wall and escape the detention center. However, after escaping from the detention center, the poor and penniless Khalid could only sleep next to the garbage can and live a simple life.
The protagonist of another main line is warren, who is a down-and-out middle class. At the beginning of the film, he leaves his wife, who has been drinking for a long time, and disposes of his clothing inventory. Then, with excellent gambling skills, he went to the underground casino and won a sum of money. Immediately after that, he ordered a restaurant at the intersection of the street that was about to close.
One day while taking out the garbage, Warren saw Khalid lying next to his trash can. Warren tries to drive Khalid away, but Khalid is provoked and fights back, so the two of them k each other. However, although the Warren people are fierce, they are a soft heart. After a fight, he invited Khalid to dinner, and after a brief understanding of Khalid's experience, he gave him a cleaning job. Not only that, But Warren also paid Khalid to get a certificate to avoid being arrested by the police. In addition, Khalid no longer had to sleep on the road, and Warren vacated the small warehouse for Khalid to live in. Life had finally settled down, and Khalid had more time to look for information about his sister than to work at a small restaurant every day.
Kung Fu paid off, and Khalid's fellow friends finally brought him good news. My sister in the camp got the news. But because Khalid could neither take a boat nor a plane, he couldn't pick up his sister. This time the owner Warren helped him again. Warren found a driver of a cart who often went abroad to deliver goods and smuggled Khalid's sister to Finland. Khalid was finally reunited with his sister. However, it is clear that her sister was more devastated by the war, and she did not want to stay in Finland with a false identity like Khalid. Khalid decided to take his sister to the public security bureau the next day to turn herself in, hoping that she would be able to stay in Finland normally through asylum. Just when everything was going so well and beautifully, a racist approached Khalid and he stabbed Khalid.
Director Aki gave us a real taste of facial paralysis, and almost all the actors in the whole movie are a poker face. They don't smile and seem indifferent to anything. Whether it is a good thing or a bad thing, the actors can at most raise the corners of their mouths, which is the most respectful response to the other party. This expression makes the whole movie look so dull.
But the female investigator who helped Khalid stay in Finland; the boss Warren, who helped him despite knowing each other; the fellow troubled compatriots who lived in the same room and several of the clerk colleagues who worked together; the grandfather who punched away the racist; and even the truck driver who finally helped his sister smuggle for free did not leak a little expression. But maybe it's like their music, cold on the outside and hot on the inside. The tone is simple, but full of warmth.
The climax of the whole film is completely moved from the moment Khalid plays the music of his hometown. Finland's tranquility cannot hide the nostalgia of the refugees. The other side of hope may be that Finland does not want to take in these suffering people, but they have to try to stay, but if their homes are peaceful, who wants to leave their homes?
At the end of the story, Khalid takes his sister to the Public Security Bureau with an injury. But he himself silently ran to the small river, lying under the tree with the puppy, looking at the lights on the other side of the river. What the future holds, and where do you go from here?
The movie is called "The Other Side of Hope", and I don't think I want to tell you the answer is to witness everything and then numb and hopeless. Instead, I want you to live strong and have a goal, because living has everything, and there will be time for the bad to become hope again.
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