THE HELSINKI EFFECT

FINLAND, GERMANY, NORWAY | 2025| COLOR|  DCP | 87’| ENGLISH

In 1975, while the Cold War was temporarily de-escalating, global public opinion turned its attention to Helsinki and the “Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe”. The world's leading political figures were almost unwittingly involved in an event of undeniable historical significance, the meaninglessness of which was extensively documented by the media of the time. Fifty years later, a Finnish director dusts off these archives and reconstructs them into an enjoyable game of political chess, highlighting the real impact of the summit in light of recently declassified secrets and, above all, the turbulent world we live in today. A model of experimental cinematic discourse, imaginative and witty, Arthur Franck's creative documentary is an incredibly entertaining satire that views international diplomacy as a dramatic arena and explains much more than a more straightforward encyclopedic reading of History could. Th.K.

DIRECTOR:Arthur Franck
SCREENWRITER: Arthur Franck
MUSIC:Uno Helmersson, Patrik Andrén
EDITOR: Markus Leppälä, Arthur Franck

ARTHUR FRANCK
Born in Helsinki, Finland, in 1980. He studied at Arcada University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, earning a degree in 2009. He co-founded the production company Polygraf Film. As a director, Franck has primarily worked in television. He currently serves as chairman of the Finnish Documentary Guild.

FILMOGRAPHY
2025 The Helsinki Effect
2021 The Spoils of Tamminiemi
2019 The Hypnotist