The Human Factor

The year 2022 marks the 60^th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, a chapter of contemporary history that could have ended very differently, wiping out millions of lives. The crisis took place at the height of the Cold War, which ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall. Onboard a Soviet submarine, a senior officer refuses to obey an order from his captain, saving the world from nuclear disaster.

The human factor saved the world from almost certain destruction, not political games and diplomatic negotiations between the two superpowers. One moment of uncertainty among a small ground of people that determined the fate of millions. What rules dictate the behaviour of these men when the fate of the world is in their hands? Are we still threatened by the human factor and its unpredictable consequences? These questions are exactly what the film Facteur humain (The Human Factor) sets out to answer through interviews with Russian, Canadian, American and French submariners.