In the second half of May, Kai Cinema will present a film program curated by artist Paul Kuimet, created in dialogue with the exhibition “Exploded View”. The films will be screened over four evenings and form part of the exhibition’s public programme.

 

The special programme opens with “The Other Side of Hope” (2017) by legendary Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki — a film that weaves together two seemingly opposite worlds: Wikström, a disillusioned Finnish shirt salesman who decides to restart his life from scratch, and Khaled, a Syrian refugee who arrives in Helsinki in secret, searching for his missing sister and a chance to survive.

 

Their paths cross by coincidence, but in true Kaurismäki fashion, chance becomes a source of humanity, quiet humour, and hope. The film is both melancholic and warm — filled with dry wit, stoic performances, retro aesthetics, and deep empathy. It is a story of how people can become one another’s last lifeline even when the world around them seems to be falling apart.

 

The film is perhaps a shade more political than Kaurismäki’s other works, yet beyond the refugee theme it remains a tale of the small person navigating life with gentle melancholy and Nordic humour.

 

Kaurismäki won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival for this film.

 

Watch the trailer here

 

The program includes:
16.05 at 18:00 Aki Kaurismäki “The Other Side of Hope” (2017)
17.05 at 18:00 “Art Films Special”. Five diverse short films by different artists (2011–2025)
23.05 at 18:00 Gus Van Sant “Elephant” (2003)
24.05 at 18:00 Rirkrit Tiravanija “Karl’s Perfect Day” (2017)

All films are screened with English subtitles.