Iraq in Fragments (2006)

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 | Smoke | Family Relationships | Baghdad

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)

most fascinating documentary I've seen this year

Let me just say right from the start that I came to this film not expecting much. I saw some other Iraq films like Gunner Palace and wasn't too impressed, but this one is totally new. First of all, the whole thing takes place from the POV of Iraqis - and I mean *really* from their POV - like almost looking out of their eyes. I have never seen a documentary that gets this close to its characters, both physically and emotionally, but where the camera stays invisible the entire time.

This in itself feels like an innovation when you're watching the film, but beyond that there is the kinetic editing and the absolutely gorgeous photography. So what you get is a film of substance that not only shows you a reality we never get shown on TV, but a documentary that feels like a true step forward in style. Documentary film makers are going to be playing catch up now that films like this one are out there.