Beyond Dreams 2017

After being released from prison, Mirja, Evin Ahmad is greeted by her younger half-sister Isa, Ella Åhman, and a tight-knit circle of friends — Gizem Erdogan as Sara, Malin Persson as Emmy, and Segen Tesfai as Nina. The group had plotted a failed robbery with the dream of moving to Montevideo, and their shared history of risk doesn’t fade quickly; they soon turn their attention to a new target, a jewelry store, driven by a mix of loyalty and desperation. Emmy receives an eviction notice, which heightens the urgency and tightens the noose around their fragile plans, making every choice feel heavier and more consequential.

Back at home, Mirja clashes with her mother Sirkka, Outi Mäenpää, who gives her an ultimatum to sort out her life. The confrontation is sharp, but it’s also a mirror for the entire family’s struggles to find stability. While the tension at home simmers, Mirja begins to chase legitimate work. Frustrated by the bureaucratic red tape at the job assistance center, she takes a bold step and approaches a hotel owner directly after spotting an advertisement. The owner, Paul Lilja, Michael Lindgren, is impressed by her confidence and offers her a trial job washing dishes. Mirja keeps this new direction hidden from her friends, yet their growing suspicion about her distance adds another layer of pressure to her already delicate situation. A small but telling moment unfolds as a letter reveals that Sirkka has advanced COPD, underscoring the stakes at home and the cost of Mirja’s choices.

When Mirja tells her mother she has secured a job, Sirkka initially doesn’t believe it, but the news eventually brings a rare glow of relief to her face. At the hotel, Mirja throws herself into the work, and Paul sees enough promise to offer her a permanent position in room service, a role that pays more than the kitchen. But he also quietly signals a preference for paying under the table, a shadow that follows her into the next phase of her life. Mirja begins working under the mentorship of Edit, Anna Bjelkerud, and takes pride in her growing competence and the quiet dignity of steady employment.

The shift at the hotel doesn’t go unnoticed by her old circle. Sarah, Emmy, and Nina come to the hotel to confront Mirja; Sarah is particularly furious, mocking her for “cleaning up after rich pigs.” The confrontation turns messy as the group makes a scene, and even though Nina steps in to try to cool things, the tension leaves a sour mark that lingers in the air. The disagreement strains the tentative trust between Mirja and her friends, and the earlier sense of shared purpose begins to fracture.

Meanwhile, Sirkka is admitted to the hospital, which compels Mirja to bring Isa to work with her more often. In a moment of impulsive attempt at glamour, Mirja applies false eyelashes to a guest, while Isa secretly steals an expensive watch. The guest arrives in the room unexpectedly, and Paul fires Mirja for theft, while also refusing to pay her for the days she has already worked. When Sirkka returns home and finds the watch, she immediately assumes Mirja is the thief, and the resulting argument turns violent, culminating in Mirja being kicked out of the house.

Desperation pushes Mirja to confront Paul directly, returning the watch and pleading for her job back. He refuses, and Mirja lashes out in a moment of raw anger. The rift with Edit deepens as well, who is dismayed and hurt by Mirja’s actions and the sense that she has betrayed a close working relationship built on trust and care. With nowhere to go, Mirja drifts between buses and rooftops, watching her old friends’ nightlife from a distance and then crashing their gatherings to seek shelter and solace. The group lets her stay to sleep off a heavy night, but the night also serves as a reminder of the choice she’s facing.

The pressure tightens as the group pressures Mirja to decide whether to participate in the jewelry-store heist. Mirja agrees to help in a moment of weakness, but her resolve wavers at the last minute when Isa walks alone at night from the getaway car. Isa later reveals that Sirkka has been re-admitted to the hospital, and a frantic effort to reach her leads them to the hospital, only to confront the heartbreaking truth: Sirkka dies. The funeral scene becomes a turning point, with the friends showing up to support Mirja in her grief, and Mirja finally allowing herself to mourn openly, with Isa and the others by her side.

Even without going through with the planned heist, the emotional toll of the past remains heavy. In a bittersweet moment of generosity, Sarah surprises Mirja with tickets to Montevideo for both her and Isa. Mirja declines, choosing instead to stay and care for her sister, stating that she does not want to run from her past any longer, but also recognizing the importance of family and the possibility of healing. The film closes on a quiet, hopeful note: Mirja and Isa sit together on a rooftop, sharing a tentative, tender moment as the city hums below them, a small but meaningful step toward a future that might finally be theirs to write.