7 of 11 people found this review helpful. The title of the film “Iraq in Fragments” by James Longley, which was nominated for Best Documentary Oscar at the 2007 Academy Awards, best describes Iraq today. Iraq in Fragments is a flawed work, though. The film doesn't so much assume a particular point of view as it evinces an impressionistic means of storytelling. A rare behind-the-curtain look at the Earth Liberation Front, the radical environmental group that the FBI calls America's 'number one domestic terrorist threat.'. -- John Powers, Fresh Air, "In beautifully shot, almost poetic images, it takes us inside this fractured country, letting us feel what its like from the inside from three points of view--Sunni, Shiite and Kurd. The continuous state of flux in which Iraqi citizens find themselves is reflected in the evocative title, though the film’s structure is far less fractured than it’s suggested: Split into three panels, Iraq in Fragments is arranged to reflect an elegiac trajectory from razed urban centers to pastoral vistas, assembling vérité views of quotidian Iraqi life to posit a sense of tentative bucolic healing in a time of … Lots of great shots inside three incredibly different regions of Iraq, and the film captures many normal Iraqi citizens discussing US occupation and various daily matters. The film premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival where it won three awards: "Directing Award Documentary", "Editing Award Documentary" and "Excellence in Cinematography Award Documentary". Directed by James Longley. "Iraq in Fragments illuminates post-war Iraq in three acts, building a vivid picture of a country pulled in different directions by religion and ethnicity. Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust-Belt hometown. Like too many political scientists, Herring and Rangwala treat the subject of their study as a petri dish, carefully manipulating variables in order to achieve the desired result. James Longley. -- A.O. Iraq in Fragments is a documentary film directed by James Longley. Overall, cinema-goers and film critics broadly agree on the merits of the movie, with critics giving it an average score of 84% and users giving an average score of 81%. -- Peter Byck, Lousiville Courier-Journal, "A patient, lyrically photographed, closely observed meditation that pays calm attention to aspects of Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish daily life." Once there were many leopards here. Published on Thu 18 Jan 2007 19.00 EST. By A.O. -- Eye Weekly, ""Iraq in Fragments" is the latest entry in the crowded field of documentaries from that war. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship. "James Longley's mesmerizing "Iraq in Fragments" shakes off the oversaturated video vocabulary that has defined media coverage of the war-torn country and brings a cinematic beauty, both terrifying and ethereal"-- Stephen Garret, Indiewire, "intimate and provocative ... Longley's sensitive eye for imagery and graceful camerawork ... gives the film a beauty rarely seen ..."-- Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "highly recommended; a beautifully shot, fascinating and informative portrait ... a searing vision of this historical miasma." Stories from modern day Iraq as told by Iraqis living in a time of war, occupation and ethnic tension. Add the first question. IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and an Emmy for Best Cinematography. Presented in three parts - Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish - Iraq in Fragments is a documentary set apart from the rest. 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