The historical-psychological documentary "Sisters Across the Gulf of Finland" tells the story of the cooperation and friendship between the members of the Estonian and Finnish voluntary auxiliary organizations for women (Naiskodukaitse and Lotta Svärd) that began in the 1920s and were cut off by World War II, the Soviet occupation of Estonia, and the subsequent realpolitik of the Cold War. The reminiscences of Estonian and Finnish women, supplemented by rare archival materials and footage, illustrate the vulnerability of ordinary people and small nations in the power politics maelstrom of large totalitarian nations. The film also shows the rise of totalitarianism in Europe in the 1930s, peoples’ surrender to mass psychosis, and the decline of democracy. The elderly women in the film "Sisters Across the Gulf of Finland" have all experienced hard times, but with their warm and kind nature, they give the viewer hope that good can defeat evil. In the light of their humanity, we can see the darker side of mankind, that which comes to the fore through political violence, when people are forced to remain silent, to withdraw into themselves, and to forget. The past is connected to the present when we see UN special representative Elisabeth Rehn, herself once a Girl Lotta, assisting civilian victims in crisis areas. The film shows how the patterns of violence tied to war keep repeating regardless of time or place.