CIFF 2025: The Helsinki Effect
Now is as good a time as any to look at past geopolitical engagement to be reminded that some things never change or perhaps see a way out of our current political turmoil. In “The Helsinki Effect”, which will screen at the 61st annual Chicago International Film Festival (CIFF), Finnish documentarian Arthur Franck (“The Hypnotist”) takes a wry, matter-of-fact approach as he takes a look back at the 1973 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), a meeting of international leaders that took place in his native Helsinki before he was born. Why should we care? In a droll voiceover narration, Franck irreverently admits that the subject matter may be “very, very boring” for some and may put others to sleep.
This dark sense of humor is a fitting way to introduce a documentary about an event in history that most viewers may not have even known existed. I didn’t. That’s probably because I was 3-years-old when this diplomatic milestone occurred. Like a cool, political professor, Franck breaks down what transpired at this conference, what else was happening at the time, and how it all has impacted our current global politics.
The CSCE summit took place in July 1973, during the Cold War era, and the big question going in was, “Could diplomacy put an end to the Cold War?” That all depended on the leaders of the eight socialist and 27 capitalist countries involved, which included U.S. President Gerald Ford and his Secretary of State, a cynical Henry Kissinger, as well as the boisterous General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Leonid Brezhnev. There were lengthy negotiations, which eventually led to the signing of the Helsinki Final Act at a huge crescent-shaped table in Finlandia Hall, aimed at bridging the gap between East and West.
The agreement was divided into three “baskets” covering security, cooperation in economic and environmental fields, and human rights. The human rights provisions were particularly influential, as they inspired civil rights movements in Eastern Europe and contributed to the end of the Cold War. The primary goal was to ease Cold War tensions and foster dialogue between the Soviet bloc and Western nations. The Soviet Union sought to gain recognition of the political boundaries of Eastern Europe that had been established after World War II. At the same time, the West sought concessions regarding human rights and the more unrestricted movement of people.
Franck presents these events using archival footage and newly declassified transcripts of high-level conversations mostly involving Kissinger and Brezhnev. Using rare footage and AI-generated voices of Kissinger and Brezhnev, “The Helsinki Effect” ultimately humanizes the central figures involved, often incorporating a ticking-clock score to accompany the proceedings. Observant humor is always just around the corner, like in a scene where Brezhnev is about to put pen to paper, Franck freezes the image and tells us, in a conversational voiceover, that, “This man is about to make a huge mistake.” The fact is, these negotiations were stultifying and largely impenetrable, even to those directly participating in them.
What are the takeaways from “The Helsinki Effect?” Well, there are parallels with the current political climate that are unavoidable, but not overtly emphasized here. The end result is surprisingly compelling, considering how the subject matter is a glacial drag. It’s a reminder that, however tedious and interminable the process of diplomacy might be, it will always be preferable to the alternative.
The film screened on Saturday, October 18th, at 8 pm at CIFF, and on Monday, October 20th, at 2:30 pm; both screenings are at AMC Newcity, with director Arthur Franck in attendance. Click here for ticket info.
