'Fragments' wins top prize at documentary awards
2006 International Documentary Awards honors Longley's film
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The IDA unveiled its selection of James Longley's doc Friday night at the DGA Theater in Hollywood. The 3,000-member org had never previ-ously waited until its awards gala to announce its winning film.
Longley spent more than two years in Iraq researching and shooting the film, which is also on the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences' short list for Oscar consideration.
Pic topped "Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?," "Deliver Us From Evil," "Showbusiness: A Season to Remember" and "Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars."
"I was hoping I wouldn't win be-cause I don't have a speech prepared," Longley told the audience before giving an extensive list of thank-yous and singling out "all the people in Iraq who kept me safe and alive."
Marcelo Bukin's "Angel's Fire" won the short doc (under 40 minutes) competition. "Fire," which focuses on forced labor of children, poverty and abusive behavior by parents, topped "The Blood of Yingzhou District," "The Diary of Immaculee," "The Short History of Sweet Potato Pie & How It Became a Flying Saucer" and "The Wild Sheep, the Fox and Love."
Morgan Freeman presented both film awards.
Al Gore opened the festivities with remarks about the importance of documentary filmmaking in promoting the ideals of America's founding fathers. He received lengthy standing ovations at the start and finish of his 15-minute speech.
"While people are entranced by television because it's quasi-hypnotic, the national conversation about politics has been shrinking," Gore noted. "We have young men who are geniuses about sports trivia. And dare I mention K-Fed?"
But documentaries, he asserted, en-able key issues to bypass what he called "the structures of conformity and triviality."
Gore mentioned that "An Incon-venient Truth" -- which has grossed more than $40 million worldwide -- had premiered at the same venue.
The IDA presented "Truth" director Davis Guggenheim with its Pare Lorentz Award, which recognizes a documaker who best represents the activist spirit and lyrical vision of Lorentz.
Jane Fonda presented Haskell Wexler with the org's lifetime achievement award. She noted Wexler was the cinematographer on "Coming Home" and journeyed with her to Vietnam to shoot the 1974 "Introduc-tion to the Enemy."
Wexler concluded his acceptance speech by quoting George Orwell: "In a time of deceit, telling the truth can be a challenging act."
