WHEN Films and Journalists SPARK Public Debate
Democracy on Screen is a monthly documentary and conversation series created by French in Motion in partnership with The John Brademas Center of NYU. Launched in January 2026, the series showcases recent international documentaries that examine democracy as a pillar of human rights, followed by moderated discussions with journalists, filmmakers, and scholars. Each program invites audiences to engage with urgent questions about democratic resilience, press freedom, populism, and global governance -from Tunisia to Brazil, the United States to Ireland. Set in Washington, D.C., a global hub for international journalism and public debate, Democracy on Screen provides a thoughtful, accessible forum for students, cinephiles, and the wider community to reflect on how democratic systems are challenged, defended, and reimagined around the world.
OUR NEXT SCREENING + DEBATE
WASHINGTON – MARCH 11
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DATE: Wednesday, March 11
WHEN: 7:00 to 9:00 PM
(Doors open at 6:00 PM)
WHERE: NYU - 1307 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 -
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Laura Nix, protagonist Ann Telnaes, former editorial cartoonist for The Washington Post, and Claire L. Chandler co-producer.
The discussion will be moderated by Mark Maxey:
Mark Maxey is an Emmy Award-winning producer at Rolling Pictures whose recent films include Words of War with co-produced with Sean Penn and Space Oddity starring Kevin Bacon.
Beyond his production work, Mark is deeply engaged in industry and philanthropic leadership: he has served on the national board of the Producers Guild of America, co-chairs PGA Capital, and is a national member of the Television Academy. He is also co-founder and chairman emeritus of the Washington West Film Festival, and serves on the boards of Women in Film & Video.
His latest film, Words of War (2025), is a biographical political thriller that highlights the essential role of a free press in holding authoritarian regimes accountable, through the story of Russian journalist and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya.
Featuring:
Laura NIX:
Laura Nix is a director, writer, and producer working in non-fiction and fiction. She is known for her films Inventing Tomorrow (2018 Sundance Premiere), The Yes Men Are Revolting (2014), The Light In Her Eyes (2011), Whether You Like It Or Not: The Story of Hedwig (2003), and The Politics Of Fur (2002).
Ann Telnaes:
Ann Telnaes creates editorial cartoons in various mediums — animation, visual essays, live sketches and traditional print. She has won the Pulitzer Prize twice for her editorial cartoons in 2001 and 2025. Ann was awarded the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year in 2016 and the international EWK Award, named after the legendary Swedish cartoonist Ewert Karlsson, in 2021. Ann was also awarded the Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning in2023. After working for The Washington Post for over sixteen years, Telnaes resigned after a cartoon she submitted was rejected because it criticized billionaire tech and media executives, including Jeff Bezos, for trying to curry favor with President Trump.
Claire Lupa Chandler:
Claire Lupa Chandler is a New York based documentary producer and editor. She collaborated with celebrated director Nancy Buirski on her latest films, including as a Co-Producer of DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY (Kino Lorber/Zeitgiest), which was shortlisted for the Best Documentary Academy Award. She produced Buirski’s A CRIME ON THE BAYOU (Starz) and THE RAPE OF RECY TAYLOR (Starz), and was Co-Producer of BY SIDNEY LUMET (PBS American Masters.) She edited the feature docs FATHER’S KINGDOM and THE YES MEN ARE REVOLTING, directed by Laura Nix. -
As 2025 unfolds, the American democratic ideal continues to face profound stress tests. In Democracy Under Siege, director Laura Nix takes a rigorous and timely look at the structural pressures, political dynamics, and institutional fragilities shaping the current moment.
The film examines the assumptions underlying democratic stability and asks what happens when long-standing norms are challenged from within. Among those featured is Ann Telnaes, former editorial cartoonist for The Washington Post, whose recent resignation over the censorship of one of her submissions sparked national debate about press independence, ownership influence, and the boundaries of editorial freedom.
With precision and urgency, Nix’s film invites audiences to confront difficult questions about public trust, accountability, and the resilience of democratic institutions.
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DEMOCRACY UNDER SIEGE
Directed by:
Laura Nix
Written by:
Vincent Coen, Laura Nix, Guillaume VandenbergheProduced by: Clins d’oeil Films
Hanne PhlypoYear: 2025
Length: 55 minutes
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Inspired by its founder, former Congressman and NYU President Emeritus, the John Brademas Center of New York University pursues a collection of initiatives in the areas which formed the core of John Brademas' life in public service: the state of Congress and the legislative process in democracies; the shifting dynamics in foreign policy and international affairs; and, the present state and future prospects for higher education, the humanities, arts and culture. With a growing reputation as a home for informed and civil debate on politics, public policy and other major issues facing the nation and global community—the Brademas Center undertakes programs at NYU's campuses in New York City and Washington, D.C., and increasingly around NYU’s global network.
PREVIOUSLY in DEMoCRACY ON SCreEN
MADURO THE INDESTRUCTIBLE
FEBRUARY 11
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DATE: Wednesday, February 11
WHEN: 6:30 to 9:00 PM
(Doors open at 6:00 PM)
WHERE: NYU - 1307 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 -
The screening will be followed by an in-person conversation, co-sponsored with NYU’s Center on International Cooperation (CIC), situating Venezuela’s present moment within the region’s political history and today’s evolving global dynamics.
The discussion will be moderated by Nick Spicer (Europe Editor, NPR)
Featuring:
Rodrigo Diamanti — Venezuelan human rights activist; Director and President of Un Mundo Sin Mordaza; Secretary of the Independent Expert Panel of the Organization of American States (OAS)
Claire Meynial — U.S. Correspondent, Le Point, specializing in Africa, migration, and political crises, with extensive reporting on Venezuela and the region
Emiliana Duarte — Venezuelan journalist in exile; former Managing Editor and co-founder of Caracas Chronicles, currently working on communications with María Corina Machado’s team. -
A documentary portrait of Nicolás Maduro, tracing his unlikely rise from bus driver to president of Venezuela and his grip on power amid economic collapse, international sanctions, and mounting repression.
The film examines the contradictions of Maduro’s rule, his role in both Venezuela’s years of oil-fueled prosperity and its profound decline, while exploring how ideology, authoritarian governance, and political survival have reshaped the country and its place on the global stage.
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MADURO: THE INDESTRUCTIBLE
Directed by:
Paul Cabanis
Written by:
Gindel Delgado Aguilar, Paul Cabanis, Sonia DridiProduced by: Kraken Films
Clement Gargoullaud, David MuntanerYear: 2024
Length: 52 minutes
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Inspired by its founder, former Congressman and NYU President Emeritus, the John Brademas Center of New York University pursues a collection of initiatives in the areas which formed the core of John Brademas' life in public service: the state of Congress and the legislative process in democracies; the shifting dynamics in foreign policy and international affairs; and, the present state and future prospects for higher education, the humanities, arts and culture. With a growing reputation as a home for informed and civil debate on politics, public policy and other major issues facing the nation and global community—the Brademas Center undertakes programs at NYU's campuses in New York City and Washington, D.C., and increasingly around NYU’s global network.
WATCH THE CONVERSATION
KABUL CHAOS
Escaping the taliban
JANUARY 14
WATCH THE CONVERSATION
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DATE: Wednesday, January 14
WHEN: 6:30 to 9:00 PM
(Doors open at 6:00 PM)
WHERE: NYU - 1307 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 -
The screening will be followed by a conversation with Nick Spicer, Europe Editor at NPR, and:
Susannah George, Gulf Bureau Chief at The Washington Post, formerly Afghanistan–Pakistan Bureau Chief, who covered the fall of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s return to power.
Ali Yawar Adili, Afghan policy researcher and analyst at NYU’s Center on International Cooperation (CIC).
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Intimately filmed over 3 years from the inside, French ambassador to Afghanistan, David Martinon, is the only foreign diplomat to anticipate the coming chaos of the withdrawal of American forces in 2021. He mobilizes every resource to evacuate his staff and hundreds of civilians who now face mortal danger with the return of the Taliban.
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KABUL CHAOS: ESCAPING THE TALIBAN
Written andDirected by:
Thomas Brémond, David Périssère, Nils Montel & Myriam Weil
Produced by: Federation Studio France (Myriam Weil) et Smith en Face (Jérôme Pierdet)Year: 2024
Length: 90 minutes
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Inspired by its founder, former Congressman and NYU President Emeritus, the John Brademas Center of New York University pursues a collection of initiatives in the areas which formed the core of John Brademas' life in public service: the state of Congress and the legislative process in democracies; the shifting dynamics in foreign policy and international affairs; and, the present state and future prospects for higher education, the humanities, arts and culture. With a growing reputation as a home for informed and civil debate on politics, public policy and other major issues facing the nation and global community—the Brademas Center undertakes programs at NYU's campuses in New York City and Washington, D.C., and increasingly around NYU’s global network.
