The Foreign Desk Stranger than fiction?
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Nov 22, 2025 
Join historian and screenwriter Alex von Tunzelman, former British ambassador John Everard, and Emmy-winning writer David Quantick as they explore how film and TV shape our understanding of politics. Alex critiques the realism of films like Zero Dark Thirty and discusses the influence of government on storytelling. John explains how comedic portrayals often reveal truths about diplomatic blunders. David shares insights on creating satire amidst real-life absurdity, highlighting the delicate balance of comedy and plausibility.
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Fiction Shapes Public Understanding
- Fiction often teaches people about politics and diplomacy more than newspapers or books do.
- Screen drama communicates human frailty and shapes public understanding of history.
Access Shapes Narrative
- Filmmakers often rely on government cooperation for access to resources like ships or carriers.
- That cooperation can shape portrayal and produce subtly propagandistic narratives.
13 Days’ Washington Focus
- Alex praises 13 Days for accurately portraying Washington's hermetic viewpoint during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
- She notes the film mirrors memoirs that lacked insight into Moscow and Havana perspectives.