NATO Film Week: Facing War at Theater & Filmhuis Dakota
On Tuesday 24 June, Theater en Filmhuis Dakota, in collaboration with Movies that Matter, will screen the political documentary Facing War as part of the specially curated NATO Film Week. After the screening, Jelle Baartmans (RAAM Foundation) will engage in a discussion with the audience about the film. Expect an evening offering a unique insight into diplomacy and backroom politics, as well as a crash course in NATO! Language: Dutch
About the film
A political documentary that offers a unique insight into NATO leadership during Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. As Western unity falters, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg extends his term of office by one final year and promises to support President Zelensky ‘for as long as it takes’. But because NATO decisions must be unanimous, his promise is tested by growing divisions among the allies.
With unprecedented access to NATO’s inner workings, the film closely follows Stoltenberg as he navigates high-stakes diplomacy, balancing the demands of world leaders such as Biden, Macron, Zelensky, Erdoğan and Orbán. As Western support for Ukraine crumbles, he must bring NATO members together and prevent the alliance from falling apart under political pressure.
A highly relevant film that presents an urgent examination of diplomacy, democracy and global security in a time of great uncertainty. Can Stoltenberg keep his word to Zelensky?
After talk
After the screening of the film, there will be a discussion with the audience and with Jelle Baartmans from the RAAM Foundation. Jelle Baartmans specialises in the international relations of Eastern Europe. We will address questions such as: what are the origins of NATO and why does this organisation exist? What role does NATO play in the war in Ukraine? Could Ukraine join NATO in the future? What does it mean for a country to be a member of NATO, and what is at stake now that the US is becoming increasingly critical of NATO?
Practical
- Date: Thursday 24 June, 19:30
- Location: Theater en Filmhuis Dakota, Zuidlarenstraat 57, 2545 VP Den Haag
- Entrance: € 10,00
- Student: €7,50
- Cineville: free
- Ooievaarspas: 50% discount
- Tickets: buy your ticket via Theater en Filmhuis Dakota
NATO Film Week
What does war do to the people who did not choose it – but find themselves caught up in it? And how do you hold together a faltering world order before things really go wrong? During the Just Peace Festival 2025, in the run-up to the NATO summit, Movies that Matter is joining forces with PAARD, Flora Filmtheater and Theater en Filmhuis Dakota with a specially curated film series called NATO Film Week, which shows the complexity of war and the preservation of peace. Four completely different films, with completely different perspectives, together form a meaningful picture of our times.