Facing-war-foto-Tommy-Gulliksen

Source: NFI

‘Facing War’

The world premiere of Tommy Gulliksen’s Facing War, about Jens Stoltenberg’s final year as Nato secretary general, will open CPH:DOX 2025 at the Royal Danish Academy of Music on March 19.

The film will play in the main Dox:Award competition.

Norwegian politician Stoltenberg was general secretary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) from 2014 to 2024. The film depicts his final year in the role when, having intended to step down in 2023, he stayed in post for an extra year. This was in large part due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and its geopolitical ramifications for Nato’s 32 members.

The opening ceremony and screening will be live-streamed to cinemas across Denmark as part of the Dox:Danmark initiative.

Facing War is produced by Dox Division in co-production with NRK, SVT, and Think-Film Impact Production. The film is supported by NFI, Oslo Film Fund, Viken Filmsenter, Fritt Ord, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Impact Partners, the Bergesen Foundation, and the Fund for Sound and Image.

“At a time when the rules-based world order, established after 1945, is under serious pressure, the value of diplomacy and the international alliances that have upheld it is clearer than ever,” said CPH:DOX artistic director Niklas Engstrom.

”Facing War offers a rare insight into how these alliances, even when threatened, require leadership and precision to maintain the necessary stability in an increasingly unpredictable world.”

Norwegian filmmaker Gulliksen has previously directed two feature documentaries: 2019’s War Of Art, about a cultural exchange with North Korea; and Vegg Vegg Vegg, about Norwegian music duo Karpe Diem.

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