The Helsinki Effect

The Helsinki Effect is a historical documentary that examines the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. The film explores how the summit and its final act, signed in August 1975, acted as a catalyst for the eventual decline of authoritarian communist regimes in Eastern Europe and contributed to the end of the Cold War. To reveal the nature of secret high-level negotiations, the production utilizes artificial intelligence to simulate voices.

Directed and written by Arthur Franck, the film is a co-production between Germany, Norway, and Finland involving production companies Kloos & Co., Polygraf, and Indie Film AS. Franck also serves as a producer and provides the narration. The documentary incorporates archive footage of several global leaders, including Leonid Brezhnev, Gerald Ford, Henry Kissinger, and Urho Kekkonen.

Released on February 21, 2025, the film has a runtime of 88 minutes. On IMDb, it holds a rating of 6.9/10 based on 184 votes.