If you’re seeking insight into America’s recent wars, you’d do well this Wednesday to visit Bricolage’s theater space, Downtown. USA Today journalist Carmen Gentile and documentary filmmaker Ralph Vituccio are the guests at Firefights and Foot Patrols: Documenting America’s Engagement in Afghanistan and Iraq, the latest in Bricolage’s Fifth Wall series.

The evening begins with an excerpt of Vituccio’s 2007 film In Service. The Bricolage-produced documentary explores Pittsburgh’s connections to the Iraq War, profiling 15 men and women who served (as soldiers, government officials or journalists) in and around Baghdad. Here’s CP’s feature story on In Service, which began as a multimedia work by Bricolage.

Vituccio, a veteran filmmaker who teaches at Carnegie Mellon University and Pittsburgh Filmmakers, will introduce the film. (That’s him on the right in the accompanying photo, with Gentile on the left.)

Gentile, a Pittsburgh native who’s covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will then lead a discussion. In addition to his work for USA Today, he’s also reported for The New York Times and Time magazine. The veteran reporter was embedded with troops in Afghanistan as recently as late 2012.

Gentile’s talk will be followed by an audience Q&A with he and Vituccio.

The Fifth Wall series means to break down the barriers between scripted storytelling and current events. The Jan. 23 event is sponsored by Bricolage and the World Affairs Council.

The program is 6-8 p.m., at Briclage’s space at 937 Liberty Ave. Tickets are $20 and include refreshments, and you can buy them at the WAC’s website.