The Match Factory has sold Aki Kaurismaki’s highly anticipated “The Other Side of Hope” to half the world, ahead of its world premiere in competition later this week at the Berlin Film Festival.

The deals in 21 territories are mostly with the biggest and most prestigious of arthouse distributors in those areas. “The Other Side of Hope” is 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 said Sunday it had interest or offers for the film for South America, Australia and the U.S.

Other deals 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, and the other about Wikström, a former traveling salesman who sees something of himself in the battered Khaled.