Film Description

Iraq in Fragments illuminates post-war Iraq in three acts, building a picture of a country pulled in different directions by religion and ethnicity. Filmed in verit style with no scripted narration, the film explores the lives of ordinary Iraqis to
illustrate and give background to larger trends in Iraqi society.
Part One follows Mohammed Haithem, an 11-year-old auto mechanic in the mixed Sheik Omar neighborhood in the heart of old Baghdad. Through Mohammed’s eyes we see the growing disenchantment with the US-led occupation, as well as tensions between Shia and Sunni Iraqis. Pulled between school and work, Mohammed’s Bagdhad is seen in extreme close-up,
alternating between an idealized past and an uncertain future.

Part Two is filmed inside the Shiite political / religious movement of Moqtada Sadr, traveling between Naseriyah and the holy city of Najaf. As tensions mount inside the country, we see the inner workings of Iraqi local politics as the Sadr
movement pushes for regional elections and enforces their interpretation of Islamic law. Moderate views are swept to the side as the United States provokes an armed uprising among Sadr’s followers.

Part Three follows Iraqi Kurds as they assert their bid for independence, rebelling against the past atrocities of Baghdad rule. We follow these developments through the eyes of brick makers and childhood friends on a farm south of Arbil, where politics and faith are locked together in the lives of our protagonists.

Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2006