Iraq in Fragments

James Longley's Iraq in Fragments (2006) provides an unscripted, narrative-free film exploring the simple lives of Iraqis. The film does an excellent job in portraying the failing educational life of the child named Mohammed Haithem (I think that's his name). The relationship he has with his boss, Suleiman Mahmoud (I may be wrong about that name too). He constantly urges the boy to successfully continue his education. The options were either work until he is grown up, like the says, or to get an education. However, there are some tough examples to watch, especially for a Western audience. Textbooks were full of torn pages, classrooms were nowhere near ideal settings, and the boy only knew how to spell his name after 5 years of "education."

Something that also struck me was the way the boy was treated by his boss. There were a few accounts where the boss seemed to be verbally abusing the boy. Some names were called and the boy began to cry. The man repeatedly said he had never hit him, so there was no reason for the boy to cry. Of course, as an American viewer, I was appalled to see the boy cry because of the man's yelling. However, the social customs of Iraq (or even the Middle East in general) make for a different tone. In my eyes, this was the most striking component to Iraq in Fragments.