The premiere of Hailey Gates’ military satire “Atropia” took place at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, Jan. 25 at Eccles Theater. “Atropia,” which is Gates’s directorial debut, follows aspiring actress Fayruz, played by Alia Shawkat, on an army role-playing facility set. Fayruz falls in love with military actor Abu Dice, played by Callum Turner. However, their love may jeopardize their performance.

A Collective Vision with the Cast and Crew 

Before the screening, stars walked the red carpet showcasing their best looks, excited to see the imaginative world of “Atropia” come to life on screen. But what if the cast and crew had to come together to create their own fictional place? After some interviews on the carpet, here’s what it might look like:

Stars Turner, Gilberto Oritz, and others agreed that the president of this place would undoubtedly be Gates. “She’s the director; she’s got to be the president,” said Turner.

Gates, a talented force in filmmaking, wrote the script for the movie and victoriously brought it to life. “I think she would be a great leader for us,” Oritz said.

However, Gates’ leadership is not the only thing making its way to the cast and crew’s fictional world. The stars shared their opinions on what items from the film set should be included. First in line are the military uniforms. Chloe East and Dash Melrose expressed their love for the uniform costumes.

“I loved wearing it and wanted to go home in it,” East said. 

If the uniforms are arriving, why not complete the package with the energy of the cast?

“I will take the strength, energy and love from the set with me,” Priscilla Garita said. The cast’s love and support for each other was evident on the carpet. 

Building Community in a Fictitious Place

The make-believe town is not complete without activities for everyone to enjoy. Actresses Zahra Alzubaidi and Jane Levy voted on the go-to activity: making dinner and some wine with friends.

“I love to cook and bring everyone to the table. That is definitely my love language,” Alzubaidi said.

East was excited to participate in the activity: “I want to make grilled cheese sandwiches, and someone else can create a Shirley Temple station.”

But before dinner with friends, Gil Perez-Abraham had a suggestion for an activity.

“As long as it is walkable, everyone can be out in the sun, sit under some trees, [and] take a walk in the park,” he said. He then shared that the key to the fictitious place will be “communication and friendship.” These two elements will come easily to the cast and crew, as they were also seen on the red carpet. 

The love and support of the cast show the bonds made during the movie’s filming. And, although their fictional town may not exist in real life, the morals of communication and creativity are surely real.