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A dark comedic take on the refugee crisis

The Shuswap Film society presents The Other Side of Hope
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Photo contributed. The cast from The Other Side of Hope.

Khaled, a Syrian refugee arrives in Helsinki concealed in a shipping container.

Having fled war-torn Aleppo to seek asylum in Finland, Khaled is stunned when the powers that be promptly deny him and he is forced to escape to the streets to avoid being sent back.

Wikstrom, a former salesman has recently left his alcoholic wife and bought a restaurant with his poker winnings to make a fresh start.

The two men cross paths when Wikstrom discovers Khaled sleeping in the yard behind the restaurant.

After a rocky start, Wikstrom offers Khaled a job, a roof over his head, and an odd patchwork community with the restaurant’s other workers.

The unlikely pair struggle to navigate their own journeys into unfamiliar territory while helping each other in the face of their own indifference.

The Other Side of Hope shows at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Salmar Classic Theatre.