Following "Dolle Dinsdag" (September 5, 1944), he officially joined the resistance forces, assuming a leadership role in the National Film and Photo Reportage Service. After the end of the war, Schuitema and his three partners founded the Dutch Cooperative for Film Production ("Nederlandse Werkgemeenschap voor Filmproductie", NWF) in Haarlem and gave the impulse for the formation of the Dutch Film Makers Guild ("Beroepsvereniging van Nederlandse Cineasten"). In each case, membership was restricted to those artists whose conduct during the occupation was irreproachable.