The Helsinki Effect
Written and directed by: Arthur Franck
Editing: Markus Leppälä, Arthur Franck
Music: Uno Helmersson, Patrik Andrén
Producers: Sandra Enkvist, Arthur Franck,
Production: Polygraf
Festivals and Awards: CPH:DOX 2025 | Official Selection, Munich International Documentary Festival 2025 | Official SelectionJuly 29th 1975.
Thirty-five world leaders gather at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki for an unprecedented three day Cold War extravaganza: The Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe, sometimes referred to as The Helsinki Accord, or known by the sexy acronym CSCE. Based on hundreds of hours of archival footage, The Helsinki Effect deconstructs the anatomy of an often misunderstood diplomatic process, and reveals how it came to impact the world in a decisive way.
Arthur Franck, the son of Finnish journalist and documentary filmmaker Michael Franck, lives in Helsinki with his three children. Franck graduated from Arcada University of Applied Sciences with a Bachelor of Arts in 2009. He has been working as a writer and director since 2004 and runs the production company Polygraf with Sandra Enkvist.