Iraq in Fragments
Director: James Longley
Year Released: 2006
Rating: 2.0
A bleak look at the dismantled state of Iraq (during the American Occupation) from the perspectives of the three different factions in the country: the Sunnis (as told through a young boy), the Shi'a and the Kurds. The fact that the segments can be contradictory is actually its main strength - there are no simple solutions to the issue of how to fix the country - but Longley's undecided as to whether or not he wants to make an art film or a standard documentary. There are plenty of disembodied voices and disconnected images, and though it's a more visually stimulating portrait of the country than what's been fed to the U.S. public via its major media outlets, if you haven't been reading the newspapers this won't fill in too many blanks (likewise, if you have been reading the newspapers, none of this will be surprising). Plus, the focus on children is a tad much, considering the inherent drama of the situation.
