Long-awaited “Other Side of Hope” sells worldwide ahead of Berlinale

PanARMENIAN.Net - Ahead of its world premiere in competition later this week at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, The Match Factory has sold Aki Kaurismäki’s highly-anticipated “The Other Side of Hope” to half the world, Variety reports.

The rollout to 21 territory deals is often with one of the biggest and most prestigious of arthouse distributors in them who have been distributing films as long as Kaurismaki has been making them. It makes “The Other Side of Hope” one of the best pre-sold of new arthouse titles bowing at Berlin.

Kaurismaki’s first film since 2011 Cannes Festival hit “La Havre,” of major arthouse territories, “The Other Side of Hope” has closed the U.K./Ireland (Curzon), France (Diaphana), Spain (Golem), Italy (Cinema srl.), and Japan (Eurospace). The Match Factory has also licensed other key arthouse territories, such as Benelux (Cinemien/ABC), Sweden (Folkets BIO), Switzerland (Filmcoopi) and Poland (Gutek).

The Match Factory confirmed on Sunday interest or offers for the film for South America, Australia and the U.S.

Other dealks take in Czech/ Slovak Republic, Greece, Bulgaria Norway, Iceland, Hungary, Switzerland, Romania, Former-Yugoslavia, Portugal, Estonia/ Latvia, Lithuania and Israel.

Set in Helsinki, “The Other Side of Hope” tells two stories that by chance intersect: One about Khaled, a young Syrian refugee who has lost most of his family, the other about Wikström, a former traveling salesman who sees something of himself in the battered Khaled.