Local Build refuse to recognize submodule as git repository

How do I test the circleci build locally? I git cloned a Django application (recursively) that has 3 submodules attached, but I can’t get past this error. I cd into 1 of the submodules as it has its own repo. However, it did not clone it’s own .git directory. Instead, it has a .git file instead that points towards the root of the base application. I have been stuck on this for a couple of days. Any guidance would be helpful.

Docker image digest: sha256:e719901b26a21ddbfc2a0b23e28e083bf21d746f5b3ed0246d8b56adbbed294e
====>> Spin Up Environment
Build-agent version  ()
Docker Engine Version: 19.03.8
Kernel Version: Linux f86aabfdd238 4.19.76-linuxkit #1 SMP Tue May 26 11:42:35 UTC 2020 x86_64 Linux
Starting container circleci/node:10.7.0-browsers
  image is cached as circleci/node:10.7.0-browsers, but refreshing...
10.7.0-browsers: Pulling from circleci/node
Digest: sha256:7aa2d9b507158182ca8594d27b72c88a6567eaa74314f99e401e5291b688e772
Status: Image is up to date for circleci/node:10.7.0-browsers
  using image circleci/node@sha256:7aa2d9b507158182ca8594d27b72c88a6567eaa74314f99e401e5291b688e772
====>> Preparing Environment Variables
Using build environment variables:
  BASH_ENV=/tmp/.bash_env-localbuild-1591226975
  CI=true
  CIRCLECI=true
  CIRCLE_BRANCH=
  CIRCLE_BUILD_NUM=
  CIRCLE_JOB=build-lint-benchmark
  CIRCLE_NODE_INDEX=0
  CIRCLE_NODE_TOTAL=1
  CIRCLE_REPOSITORY_URL=
  CIRCLE_SHA1=
  CIRCLE_SHELL_ENV=/tmp/.bash_env-localbuild-1591226975
  CIRCLE_WORKING_DIRECTORY=~/project


The redacted variables listed above will be masked in run step output.====>> Checkout code
  #!/bin/bash -eo pipefail
mkdir -p /home/circleci/project && cd /tmp/_circleci_local_build_repo && git ls-files | tar -T - -c | tar -x -C /home/circleci/project && cp -a /tmp/_circleci_local_build_repo/.git /home/circleci/project
fatal: Not a git repository: ../.git/modules/saleor-dashboard
Error: 
Exited with code exit status 128

Step failed
Error: runner failed (exited with 101)
Task failed
Error: task failed