‘Facing War’ will open CPH:DOX 2025

The documentary ‘Facing War’ directed by Tommy Gulliksen, which depicts Jens Stoltenberg’s final years as NATO Secretary General, has been selected as the opening film at this year’s edition of CPH:DOX – Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival taking place March 19-30. In addition to being the festival’s opening film, ‘Facing War’ is also nominated for CPH:DOX’s main prize, the DOX:AWARD — an award recognizing the best and most important new documentaries. The film will have its world premiere at the CPH:DOX 2025 opening gala in the concert hall of the Royal Danish Academy of Music on March 19 at 19:30.

In a time when new global political crises are piling up, and the Western world’s defense alliance seems to be unraveling, Jens Stoltenberg is regarded as one of the great diplomatic beacons. Originally, he was set to step down as NATO’s Secretary General at the end of his term, but with a war in Europe and the prospect of growing divisions among the alliance’s member states, the Norwegian top diplomat was persuaded by the then-U.S. president to remain in the position.

‘Facing War’ offers a unique look into Jens Stoltenberg’s final year as NATO’s Secretary General. It is a year filled with challenges, as he has promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the alliance will stand by Ukraine for as long as necessary. However, fears that the war in Ukraine could spread to the rest of Europe increase tensions among the 32 allied countries, and Stoltenberg must rely on all his diplomatic skills to keep the alliance united. Fortunately, the Norwegian politician is a master of the delicate art of compromise and understands the importance of a well-timed gesture of support. And when negotiating with figures like Recep Erdoğan and Viktor Orbán, it is the small details that can make all the difference.

“We are delighted to kick off this year’s festival with the world premiere of such a highly relevant film, which takes us deep behind the diplomatic negotiations and twists that followed—and continue to follow—in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At a time when the rules-based world order, established after 1945, is under serious pressure, the importance of diplomacy and stable international alliances that have upheld it is as clear as ever. ‘Facing War’ offers a rare insight into how these alliances, especially when under threat, require leadership and finesse to maintain the necessary stability in an increasingly unpredictable world,” says Niklas Engstrøm, Artistic Director of CPH:DOX.

Beyond being the opening film of the festival, ‘Facing War’ is also nominated for the festival’s main prize, DOX:AWARD, sponsored by Politiken—an award recognizing the best and most important new films.

The film will have its world premiere at the opening gala of CPH:DOX 2025 in the Royal Danish Academy of Music’s concert hall on March 19 at 19:30, where audiences will also have the opportunity to meet guests from the film. It will also be streamed to a large number of cinemas across Denmark as part of the nationwide project DOX:DANMARK.

‘Facing War’ is directed by Tommy Gulliksen and 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.

About CPH:DOX
CPH:DOX, Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, is a world leading documentary film festival supporting independent and innovative filmmaking and presenting the best and brightest in contemporary non-fiction film. The festival is known and widely respected for radically changing the documentary landscape with a focus on challenging the genre with cross over to other art forms, and for advancing art as an active voice in civil society. Annually presenting approx. 200 films, the yearly festival’s audience has grown to more than 125,000, and our industry platform, championing high-end cinematic and hybrid filmmaking welcomes 2,000+ industry professionals annually from a wide variety of sectors across creative documentary, hybrid non-fiction, visual arts, journalism and science.

For further information:
Nicolai Oreskov Westh, Head of Communication, nicolai@cphfilmfestivals.dk +45 29897093