Deep within the Mojave Desert, the United States army has erected a cluster of fake Iraqi villages where American soldiers spend three weeks training before deployment. Valued at over a billion dollars, this simulation employs thousands of role-players and a team of specialists who choreograph their every move. At first glance, viewers might assume they are looking at footage from the war, as every detail, from reporters to assassinations to medical emergencies and negotiations, is recreated to prepare the soldiers for real action. Focusing specifically on the village of Medini Wasl, the film moves between the perspectives of the soldiers and those of the “civilians,” a great number of whom are played by Iraqi exiles. In a town that’s all too fake, the war remains all too real.  ST