Context: From the Cold War to The Yes Men

Abstract

The history of HRWIFF is the history of Human Rights Watch, previously known as Helsinki Watch. That organization established itself in the heart of the Cold War and took a very specific position, both geographically and ideologically. As the festival emerged at the tail end of that ideological conflict, and there is an ongoing thread of interest in Eastern Europe at this event that is not there for Western Europe, I could not help but make the connections with that time. In some of what follows, I trace some of that history, both of Helsinki Watch and of the festival, and also attempt to locate some of the trends in the festival that are distinct from its parent organization.