Mikael Persbrandt Among Chile’s Invisible Heroes

Mikael Persbrandt stars as celebrated human rights activist Harald Edelstam in YLE six-part political thriller Invisible Heroes, written by Tarja Kylma and Manuela Infante Guell, which is set during Chile’s 1973 military coup.

As tanks roll onto the streets of Santiago, Finnish and Swedish diplomats Tapani Brotherus (Pelle Heikkilä) and Harald Edelstam (Mikael Persbrandt) use their positions to save the lives of more than 2000 political refugees from the Chilean military junta.

However, whilst Edelstam has the backing of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, Brotherus works in secret not only from the military but also from the Finnish government, which holds a neutral and passive political stance, and so is vilified by the press for appearing to do nothing.

Tapani risks everything as he and his wife Lysa (Sophia Heikkilä) open their doors to provide a hiding place for the persecuted, but when Edelstam is sent home and the East German embassy is closed, the pressure increases.

Invisible Heroes is currently in production and premieres April 2019 on YLE in Finland.