LOS ANGELES, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- The film "Iraq in Fragments" took top honors in the feature-length competition at the 2006 International Documentary Awards in Los Angeles.
The International Documentary Association said in a news release that James Longley's documentary "offered insight into a series of intimate portraits" on the war-torn country.
Longley spent more than two years in Iraq researching and shooting the film, which is also on the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences short list for an Oscar, the news release said.
The IDA's Distinguished Documentary Achievement Awards Gala at the Directors Guild of America Theatre featured other nominated films that placed behind the "Iraq in Fragments," such as "Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore"; "Deliver Us From Evil"; "Show Business: A Season To Remember," and "Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars."
"Angel's Fire" ("Fuego de Angel") won the IDA short documentary, which was set at 40 minutes or less. The movie focused on the forced labor of children and how poverty can lead to abusive behavior by the parents. "Angel's Fire" was directed by Marcelo Bukin.
