On Sunday morning presenter Sacha Michailidis provided a brief description of the main traits of Aki Kaurismäki’s work for those who have encountered the Finnish author‘s film for the first time thanks to the Karlovy Vary Film Festival and screening of The Other Side of Hope (many such encounters have taken place at the Grand Hall) with the following words: seemingly amateur acting. One-sentence dialogues, if any. Love of old American pop songs and cars, and love of cigarettes. Static film shots of motionless figures reacting passively to crazy events. And a great amount of humanity and empathy.
The guests, two actors of Non-Finnish origin, Sherwan Haji and Simon Al-Bazoon, proved how perfectly well they fit into Kaurismäki’s renowned world by lighting cigarettes on stage, greeting the audience laconically and taking a selfie with the full auditorium. However, after all, the lead actor playing the part of a Syrian refugee in the care of employees of a peculiar Finnish restaurant, Sherwan Haji, said more than one sentence. „I am sad and disappointed when I see where today’s world is heading. But I am happy when I see people who still want to change it for the better,“ stated the actor.
