"Iraq in Fragments" is an incredible story about the human toll of war and how the people of Iraq are trying to pull themselves out of the abyss that they find themselves in. It is simply, a beautifully shot portrait of the human side of Iraq - focusing on the differences that divide Iraq Shia, Sunni and Kurdish populations.
The film is directed by James Longley, who went to Iraq in 2003 and had hoped to turn this project into an ongoing series, but chose instead to make it a feature length documentary once the violence in Iraq got out of control. He spent the past two years in Iraq and the documentary focuses on three stories. One representing each of Iraq's major Islamic denominations. Groups that, given the collapse of Saddam and his Baathist regime, are now struggling against each other for power and autonomy, while the US struggles to maintain its own control.
The first story features an eleven year old boy named Mohammed Haithem whose father has died. He is living in old Baghdad and struggles to support his family who share the poverty of the other Sunni people in their neighborhood. Once the rulers of Iraq, they are now the vanquished.
The second story is about Sheik Aws al Kafaji, a follower of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The Shia, the majority population in Iraq, now hold power in the new democracy. This story follows the rise to power of the clerics and the consequences of their ascension.
Finally, the last story follows several Kurdish farmers in the north who contemplate the possibility of a long-held dream of an independent Kurdistan.
I want to emphasize that this is not a documentary about war, but rather a film about people and what the new Iraq means. It swept all the documentary awards at the Sundance Film Festival last month. It shows why Iraq remains horrific and sad for some, frightening for others and yet hopeful for others still. It is no stretch to say that the war in Iraq has not gone the way the Bush Administration had hoped. This film explains why.
My recommendation. See. This. Film.
It is out in theaters.
link:
http://imdb.com/title/tt0492466/ 
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