The downside of Richard Holbrooke's impressive career is that he was a very absent father. Years after his death, his son David tries to get to know him better. He interviews an impressive list of political figures: Hillary and Bill Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, Kofi Annan, Madeleine Albright, ... they all touch on Holbrooke's inexhaustible energy. His old-school, borderline arrogant style brought him much success, for example at the end of the war in Bosnia. But his approach was less well received by the more subtle Obama, who pushed Holbrooke aside more and more during his last mission to find a solution for Afghanistan.

'The Diplomat' offers a unique look at foreign policy at the highest level, what goes on behind the scenes when it is time to decide on war and peace and how America's role as international policeman has evolved during the last decades. At the same time this is a film a son made for his father. It shows that even on the stage of world politics it isn’t all about major strategies and performances, but about ordinary people, each with their own personalities and quirks.