Atropia operates as a political satire with touches of dramedy, exploring the porous frontier between representation and reality in a surreal military context, in the lineage of classics such as Robert Altman’s M.A.S.H. The story follows Fayruz (Alia Shawkat), an aspiring actress of Iraqi descent who works on a U.S. military base as part of a training program in which a fictitious war is staged in the invented nation of Atropia. In this peculiar setting—half improvised theatre, half war spectacle—Fayruz tries to stand out in hopes of making her way to Hollywood, while grappling with the absurdity of repeatedly performing stereotyped roles. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Abu Dice (Callum Turner), a veteran soldier assigned to play a rebel, and their relationship begins to blur the lines between acting, desire, and real conflict.
The film marks the feature debut of filmmaker Hailey Gates, who crafts a singular work combining biting humour, social critique, and an unlikely romance. Premiering at Sundance, Atropia drew attention for its irreverent take on the transformation of war into spectacle and theatrical training exercise. The film went on to win the festival’s Grand Jury Prize, cementing its status as one of the most celebrated debuts of the edition. Shawkat’s performance stands out, as does the originality of the film’s premise, with a satire that is both sharp and playfully erratic. With this first feature, Gates establishes herself as a distinctive new voice in contemporary American indie cinema.
Credits
Year: 2025
Runtime: 103′
Country: USA, France, Italy
Direction: Hailey Gates
Screenplay: Hailey Gates
Cast: Alia Shawkat, Zahra Alzubaidi, Chloë Sevigny
Cinematography: Eric Yue
Genre: Comedy, War
Contact: YouPlanet
Wins & nominations
2025 | Sundance Film Festival | Grand Jury Prize
2025 | Tokio Film Festival
