### Exploring War Through Absurdity: Hailey Gates’ *“Atropia”* to Premiere at Sundance 2025
The Sundance Film Festival has long been a hub for daring and original storytelling, and this year’s lineup is no exception. Among the most highly anticipated films debuting at the 2025 festival is *“Atropia,”* the audacious, darkly funny debut feature from director Hailey Gates. Set to premiere on January 25th at the Eccles Theater, this satirical comedy confronts the absurdity of war while delivering sharp commentary on the intersection of authenticity, human behavior, and performance art.
At its heart, *“Atropia”* draws inspiration from a little-known yet bizarre practice in modern military history. During the Iraq War era, the U.S. Department of Defense constructed sprawling mock villages in desert locations like Nevada. Complete with actors, simulated bomb blasts, and even specially concocted scents to mimic spiced tea and burning flesh, these false towns were elaborate training grounds for soldiers preparing for combat. Gates mines this unsettling material to explore how the military’s fixation on simulation often blurs the line between reality and theater.
#### From Documentarian to Satirist: Gates’ Creative Evolution
For Hailey Gates, *“Atropia”* was more than an artistic detour—it was a deeply personal story waiting to be told. Growing up near one of these military training camps in California, Gates had a front-row seat to their eerie facsimile of reality. Initially, she envisioned the project as a documentary, even attempting to infiltrate these faux villages as an actor. After being denied access, she reimagined her concept as a scripted satire, blending humor with social critique.
With the encouragement of renowned filmmaker Luca Guadagnino (*Call Me By Your Name*), who signed on as producer, Gates quickly wrote the screenplay in just four weeks. Guadagnino, known for championing bold voices, instantly recognized the project’s potential and gave Gates his trademark vote of confidence: *“Ok. We make a moo-vie.”*
Gates’ diverse background as both a documentarian and an actor on projects like *Twin Peaks* and *Uncut Gems* informed her approach. Describing those years as her “gonzo film school,” she honed the observational skills and sharp wit that made their way into *“Atropia”*. The resulting film is a seamless blend of outrageous comedy and layered social commentary, drawing comparisons to *Argo* and *National Lampoon*-style humor.
#### A Stellar Cast Anchors the Absurdity
A satire is only as strong as its cast, and *“Atropia”* boasts an ensemble worthy of its ambitious premise. Leading the charge is the ever-talented *Alia Shawkat*, who plays a dedicated method actor hired to portray various roles in the mock villages—everyone from a grieving bride to a chemist masterminding a faux mustard gas attack. Shawkat’s razor-sharp wit and emotional nuance bring depth to her portrayal of a performer grappling with the ridiculous yet haunting implications of her work.
Opposite Shawkat is *Callum Turner*, who plays a rookie actor struggling to navigate the bizarre, high-stakes environment of the military’s simulated war zones. The chemistry between Shawkat and Turner is palpable, adding layers of tension and romance to the comedy’s chaotic scenarios. Notably, production had its own moments of surrealism, including a scene where the pregnant Shawkat joked that her baby’s kicking during an intense argument helped co-direct the take.
#### A Lens on Performativity and Modern Warfare
What sets *“Atropia”* apart is its ability to walk a tightrope between absurd comedy and meaningful critique. Gates uses the military’s fixation on hyper-real simulations to explore broader themes of performativity and desensitization. Soldiers trained in fabricated bombings, fake tear gas attacks, and staged interrogations raise unsettling questions about how institutions prepare people for real-world horrors. And yet, the way these scenarios teeter between authenticity and farce underscores the inherent contradictions of preparing for combat through layers of theatricality.
By exposing the surreal lengths to which institutions go in simulating war, *“Atropia”* takes an unflinching look at the intersection of artifice and humanity. For Gates and Shawkat—both of whom came of age during the Iraq War era—the film serves as a creative response to the sanitized narratives of modern military history.
#### Why *“Atropia”* Is a Must-See at Sundance
With its sharp humor, engaging performances, and timely cultural commentary, *“Atropia”* stands as one of the most exciting films to watch at this year’s Sundance Festival. Whether you’re drawn in by Alia Shawkat’s magnetic presence, Callum Turner’s irresistible charm, or Hailey Gates’ creative audacity, this film promises to leave a lasting impression.
As audiences settle into the Eccles Theater on January 25th, they can expect more than just laughter—*“Atropia”* is poised to spark reflection on the strange, surreal ways we prepare for chaos in an already chaotic world.
In Guadagnino’s words: *“Ok. We make a moo-vie.”* Judging by early buzz, that decision was nothing short of genius.
