What if the January 6 US Capitol attack had been even worse, with active-duty military going rogue to join a rapidly spreading insurrection? That's the question tackled by the participants in a unique, unscripted role-play simulation meant to stress test our government's officials and policies. The film follows a bipartisan group of US defense, intelligence and elected policymakers spanning five presidential administrations as they participate in an unscripted role-play exercise.

The seeds for this game — designed by the non-partisan group Vet Voice — were planted when the Washington Post published a 2021 op-ed by three retired generals that argued "the military must prepare now for a 2024 insurrection." The simulation's outcome hinges on several inflection points, from the government's capacity to counter the disinformation that's effectively spread by the insurgent side to the potential invocation of the Insurrection Act (i.e. the last resort). While the exercise served to stress test our institutions, the film is a critical wake-up call, underscoring the urgent need for bipartisanship in safeguarding American democracy.

D: Jesse Moss & Tony Gerber, US, 2024, 1h34m

Discussion follows with Gen. Linda Singh, a participant in this War Game exercise. Programmed in collaboration with the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and Dartmouth Dialogues.

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