"Without the Americans, we were afraid of each other, " Hanaa Abdul Hassan, a Baghdad resident, told CNN.

CNN: Iraqis cheer -- and fear -- U.S. pullout from cities

Home is no less fraught: Uxbal is an adoring, manners-correcting father to Ana (Hanaa Bouchaib) and Mateo (Guillermo Estrella), but his estranged wife, Marambra (Maricel Alvarez), is a ruin, jagged with drink, who cannot be trusted with the kids.

NEWYORKER: Miles To Go