January 6, 2025, in the United States. The president-elect watches with astonishment as his narrowly defeated rival calls on the armed forces to overturn the result of the presidential election, according to the scenario of the documentary “War Game,” which anticipates a renewed attack on the Capitol.
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In reality, on January 6, 2021, it was not soldiers but hundreds of supporters of former President Donald Trump who violently stormed the Capitol, the seat of the legislature and sanctuary of American democracy, to protest the victory of his Democratic opponent Joe Biden.
“War Game,” premiering at the Sundance Independent Film Festival, features former political and military officials in an unscripted role-playing game that imagines a new attack on the Capitol, an event that continues to haunt and divide Americans.
For its directors, the scenario is not so far-fetched, while the November elections, barring any surprises, are likely to lead to a return of the Trump-Biden match, and the former never stops talking about “revenge”.
“It’s shocking how timely the film is,” argues co-director Jesse Moss. “And I worry about how bad it could be in a year.”
In the film, Steve Bullock, former governor of Montana (Northwest), plays the role of a President of the United States who has six hours to decide how to respond to this attempted coup.
“We all had a real experience for six hours,” says Steve Bullock. “It was a stressful environment, no one thought the cameras were there.”
His advisors in the film are American senators, agents from the Federal Police (FBI) and the Secret Service (CIA), but also colonels and a former NATO commander.
Gathered in an operating room, inspired by the cult film “Dr. Strangelove” by Stanley Kubrick, they are caught between continuous information from the secret services, social networks and a television station.
“Controversial topic”
At the same time, paramilitaries played by former US veterans are spreading disinformation online to encourage soldiers to escape.
This scene is inspired by a Washington Post editorial written in 2021 by three US generals warning of rising extremism in the military and calling for preparations for a possible insurgency after the 2024 election.
According to them, “a disturbing number of veterans and current service members took part in the attack on the Capitol.”
Vet Voice, a foundation that represents U.S. military veterans and their families, agreed to allow cameras for the film and prepared a report for authorities.
The only response from the American government was “Thank you,” laughs Janessa Goldbeck, director of Vet Voice.
“A lot of people in government are looking at this issue, but it's controversial” because it is perceived by some as a “lack of respect for our troops and our veterans,” she says.
“Very real threats”
When “War Game” uses fictional characters, it’s hard not to see the shadow of Donald Trump there.
The 77-year-old tycoon, who is the American right's favorite to win the Republican nomination for November's election despite several lawsuits against him, is even mentioned in the film by two advisers.
They are debating whether to invoke the law that allows the president to use federal troops to restore order in the face of an insurrection.
Donald Trump is criminally accused of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results and has already hinted at a possible expansion of the military's role in the United States if he wins a second term.
But what led to January 6, 2021, from the extreme polarization of American society to “the alternate reality some seem to be living in,” goes beyond Donald Trump, notes co-director Jesse Moss.
“But Trump is at the heart” of this movement, he adds. “The threats we portray in the film are serious, frightening and very real.”