The 2011 Cambridge Film Festival is now over, come back soon for details of next year's festival

In 2005, the US army formulated a controversial counterinsurgency plan which marked a radical shift in policy regarding the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Human Terrain initiative enlists experts in social sciences to work alongside combat brigades, conducting research into their localities in order to promote cultural understanding. Gaining rare access to the training camps, the filmmakers offer blistering insight into the implications of the strategy, analysing the problem of what happens when war becomes academic. A second strand of narrative emerges as a result of a tragedy during the making of the documentary - Michael Bhatia, a brilliant recruit and close friend of the directors, was killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan. Personal merges with political to produce a work of searing intelligence and honesty.