February 23 - March 1: You HAVE to see the film "Iraq in Fragments"

Iraq in Fragments, an extremely well received highly awarded film makes its Indianapolis debut

When: Feburary 23-March 1
Where: Key Cinemas 4044 South Keystone Avenue Indianapolis

If you like a good story, you’re in for three of them. Iraq in Fragments (the title itself evokes images of a war-torn country tainted by religious strife) examines the life of an 11-year old Sunni boy in Baghdad, follows sympathizers of the Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr, and also focuses intimately on a tiny village located among the Kurdish populace in northern Iraq. The film and its director, James Longley, have already received numerous international and national honors, including Sundance awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Editing.

This is Longley’s second acclaimed documentary to hit the silver screen. The success of his first film, Gaza Strip, which captures the quotidian life of Palestinians, may have been the impetus for a second Middle East- based film. Most likely, though, it was his need to tell another good story. During the process of filming and editing, he spent three years in Iraq, living both alone and also with translators and journalists, in Baghdad and in the more stable North. It was his wish to expose as much of the country as possible, within the limits of safety. Longley asserts, “It is important to me that this film presents many layers and points of view-reflecting the diversity I found.” In his director’s statement (which, along with the production notes, is highly recommended pre-viewing reading) he goes on to say that it was his aim to show “not only the divisions, but also the unifying forces that tie it together.”

Your interest and attendance is important for two reasons. First and most evidently, it is good to witness coverage in Iraq through a different lens and from several different angles. Second (and equally as important), your attendance will directly affect Indianapolis’s growing ability to access important films that, all too often, silently pass us by.

Read more about the film, including background, notes and critical responses here: www.iraqinfragments.com