Iraq in Fragments

James Longley's Oscar-nominated documentary brilliantly records the fragmentation of Iraq between 2003-05 with its triptych portrait of the country's warring factions. The first section looks at an 11-year-old boy in Baghdad who supports his family by working in an auto repair shop (his father, a policeman during Saddam Hussein's reign, has disappeared and is presumed dead). The second segment visits Najaf, the epicenter of Moqtada Sadr's political power base, where the theocratic militia runs its own police force and arrests any Iraqi violating Islamic laws (including selling alcohol, which was tolerated under Hussein). The third segment takes place in Kurdistan, where the local population is fiercely anti-Arab and many talk of splitting away from the Shia-Sunni provinces, thus ensuring a permanent fragmentation of Iraq. Unlike the heavily bowdlerized and American-centric news coverage from Iraq, Longley's film allows the local population to speak freely: the people say rueful things such as “And I used to complain about Saddam!” and “Today is better than tomorrow!” while looking mournfully at the wreckage that has become their world. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. [Note: DVD extras on this two-disc set include audio commentary by director James Longley, four “IFTC Student Shorts” (76 min. total), Longley's 21-minute short film “Sari's Mother” with optional commentary, a 20-minute interview with Longley, “Iraq Before the War” footage of congressman Jim McDermott and a group of activists and journalists going into Baghdad (14 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: an excellent extras package for this Oscar-nominated doc.] (P. Hall)