James Longley"s beautifully photographed documentary touches at the unraveling fabric of everyday life in war-torn Iraq. The images and the words of the people are what we are left to hold on to, to make sense of, as there is no scripted narration for the film, nor is there any one direction or course of action, that moves that country forward.

Longley presents us with three vantage points from which to view the disparate religious, political and cultural agendas that dot the Iraqi landscape. "Iraq in Fragments" was shot over more than two years, mostly between 2003 and 2005. These are three portraits of ordinary Iraqis, living under the extraordinary conditions of war.

Mohammed is an 11-year-old boy who works as an apprentice at an auto garage in Baghdad, where the owner, a Sunni, and his friends criticize the occupation of Iraq by the Americans. Mohammed’s father disappeared some time ago and he often sees his verbally abusive boss as a surrogate. The owner of the garage hits the boy and ridicules him because he has been kept back in school for two years. Poignantly, Mohammed reminisces about how beautiful Baghdad used to be but he now sees it as scary. Also, in his young boy way, Mohammed tries to convince himself that his boss loves him but he begins to see how poorly he is treated and decides to leave the garage and work for his uncle.

Longley then moves to the Shiite cities of the South, where soldiers of Moqtada Sadr train and enforce strict Islamic law, often at gunpoint. Through his connections, Longley is permitted surprising access to some procedures. This is a disturbing and informative sequence.

The segments end with the introduction to Kurdish farmers and their sons, trying to draw survival from the land. The two boys are close friends but they are growing into manhood with perhaps two different views of what the future holds.

Longley is a filmmaker who lays it all on the line to tell his true stories. This documentary was a favorite at Sundance, winning first place in three categories: for director, cinematography and editing. A highly recommended film, with a timely message.