Iraq in Fragments

Veiled Voices

An opus in three parts, Iraq In Fragments offers a series of intimate, passionately-felt portraits: A fatherless 11-year-old is apprenticed to the domineering owner of a Baghdad garage; Sadr followers in two Shiite cities rally for regional elections while enforcing Islamic law at the point of a gun; a family of Kurdish farmers welcomes the US presence, which has allowed them a measure of freedom previously denied.

American director James Longley spent more than two years filming in Iraq to create this stunningly photographed, poetically rendered documentary of the war-torn country as seen through the eyes of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.

Winner of Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Editing awards in the 2006 Sundance Film Festival documentary competition, the film was also awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, was named Best Documentary at the Chicago International Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2007 Academy Awards.

Women across the Arab world are redefining their role as leaders in Islam. In director Brigid Maher’s insightful documentary film, Veiled Voices , three influential women Islamic leaders are profiled—along with their families and the communities in which they serve: Ghina Hammoud in Lebanon, Dr. Du’ad Saleh in Egypt and Huda al-Habash in Syria. Filmed over the course of two years, Veiled Voices reveals a world rarely documented, exploring both the public and private lives of these women.

As a divorced woman, Ghina Hammoud faces a personal challenge in gaining legitimacy as a leader, since divorce is controversial in communities throughout Lebanon. In Egypt, Dr. Su’ad Saleh must continually fight for public recognition by the Egyptian religious authority at al-Azhar—the famous Cairo mosque and university founded in the 10th century. Huda al-Habash in Damascus enjoys both institutional support and the support of her husband as she teaches women in Syria and lectures all over the Middle East, helping others “move…from ignorance to knowledge.”

The three personal stories featured in Veiled Voices give insight into how Muslim women are increasingly willing to challenge the status quo from within their religion, promoting Islam as a powerful force for positive transformation in the world.

Marathon Beirut

Despite the devastation and political upheaval in Lebanon after the July 2006 Israeli invasion, the Beirut Marathon Association chose to move forward with their November event. However, five days before the race was set to begin, government minister Pierre Gemayel was assassinated. The country went into three days of national mourning, with thousands gathering in downtown Beirut as an expression of both grief and unity.

After much deliberation, the Marathon Association again decided to go ahead with their event. When further political hurdles and delays materialized, there was mounting concern that the Lebanese people might be fearful of taking part in the marathon—yet more than 22,000 people showed up to participate in the 5km, 10km and 42km races, with “For the Love of Lebanon” as the event’s inspirational theme.

In her insightful and inspiring documentary about the staging of the 2006 Beirut Marathon, director Deborah Harse perfectly captures the chaos, determination and ultimate rewards of keeping the annual Lebanese event alive in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.