Iraq In Fragments illuminates war-torn Iraq in three acts. First, we follow Mohammed Haithem, an 11-year-old auto mechanic in the mixed Sheik Omar neighborhood in the heart of old Baghdad. Several years behind in school and waylaid by war’s intervention, he’s torn between education and apprenticeship. Through Mohammed’s eyes we see a growing disenchantment with the U.S.-led occupation, as well as tensions between Shia and Sunni Iraqis. Shown in extreme close-up, Mohammed’s Bagdhad is a city caught between an idealized past, a dangerous present, and an uncertain future.

The second act 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.

Act 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.

Iraq in Fragments presents a vivid, intimate picture of a country pulled in different directions by religion and ethnicity. At this year’s Sundance Film Festival it won for Best Directing, Best Cinematographer and Best Editing.