Iraq in Fragments (2006)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

James Longley

Release Date:

19 January 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Documentary | War

Plot:

Stories from modern day Iraq as told by Iraqis living in a time of war, occupation and ethnic tension.

Plot Keywords:

Iraq | Religion | Arab | Battered Child | Schoolboy

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 10 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Mohammed Haithem	...	Himself
Suleiman Mahmoud	...	Himself

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Kurdish | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Baghdad, Iraq

Company:

Daylight Factory

Trivia:

Four complete chapters were edited for the film, but only three chapters are included in the final version. The missing chapter deals with the struggle of an Iraqi woman whose 10-year-old son is dying of AIDS.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) (TV)

The Best Documentary Film About Iraq

This documentary does what no other film I've seen has been able to accomplish: It shows the world of real Iraqis on the ground. In breathtaking photography we are guided through three different "fragments" of life in Iraq, in Baghdad, the south and the north of the country. What emerges is a portrait of beauty and complexity, revealing aspects of Iraq and the effects of war and occupation that we never see in this country. But the film is not overtly political, and is difficult to pin down. Instead of being an opinionated political essay like the work of Michael Moore, IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS sticks to the idea of showing the situation without adding political commentary and opinions from the filmmaker. We never hear director James Longley's voice in the film, but we see the world of Iraq through his perceptive camera work and patient skills as a documentarian. This film is truly unique, a work of stunning cinematic quality, both current and timeless in its themes.