Standby

The training of young military personnel on the NATO vessel Louise-Marie is exhausting and claustrophobic. Moments of social interaction are few and far between. The daily routine is a cycle of simulated enemy attacks and potential combat dangers. Far from home, young recruits learn the reality of constant standby. While it is a simulation, the officers’ comments suggest that the real thing could happen at any moment. Set within the confines of a single warship, the film suggests that complete preparation for true warfare is an impossible feat.