NATO Film Week: Facing War at GR8 (PAARD)
On Sunday 22 June, PAARD will present the political documentary Facing War at their new location GR8. Take a look behind closed doors at NATO, where former Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is doing everything he can to hold together a faltering alliance. The film will be screened in collaboration with Movies that Matter, as part of the specially curated NATO Film Week. 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 film, we will continue our conversation with Nugah Shrestha. Nugah has been running the online platform Politieke Jongeren (Political Youth) for years, which aims to encourage young people to take an interest in politics and speak out about events in the world. Every week, Nugah posts messages about politics, encouraging thousands of young people to think about socio-economic and social issues. He does all this alongside his full-time job as a social geographer and concept developer at Urban Sync.
Jesse Evers moves between policy and poetry. As a musician with Meyendel, he sings about what rubs people the wrong way, and as a consultant at TwynstraGudde, he helps governments not to lose – or to regain – the trust of their citizens. He taught Conflict Studies at the University of Amsterdam and studied at SciencesPo in Paris, focusing on African studies and international cooperation. He is always curious about the power of communities in times of major social change.
Practical
- Date: Sunday, 22 June, doors open at 7 p.m., film starts at 7:30 p.m.
- Location: GR8 (next to PAARD), Prinsegracht 8, 2512GA The Hague
- Tickets: buy your ticket via PAARD
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.