Letters from Baghdad
A carefully researched documentary that uses an extraordinary wealth of appealing archival footage accompanied by Tilda Swinton's voiceover as Bell.
Letters from Baghdad
Letters from Baghdad is the story of a true original—Gertrude Bell—sometimes called the “female” Lawrence of Arabia. Voiced and executive produced by Academy award-winning actor Tilda Swinton, the film tells the dramatic story of this British spy, explorer and political powerhouse. Bell traveled widely in Arabia before being recruited by British military intelligence during WWI to help draw the borders of Iraq and as a result helped shape the modern Middle East. Using stunning, never-seen-before footage of the region, the film chronicles her extraordinary journey into both the uncharted Arabian desert and the inner sanctum of British colonial power. What makes the film stand apart is that the story is told entirely in the words of Gertrude Bell and her contemporaries, excerpted from their intimate letters, private diaries and official documents. It is a unique look at both a remarkable woman and the tangled history of Iraq. The film takes us into a past that is eerily current.
Genre
Documentary,
Bio-pic,
Women and Film,
History,
World Affairs,
Docu-drama
Web Site
Runtime
95
Language
English,
Arabic
Director
Zeva Oelbaum,
Sabine Krayenbühl
FEATURED REVIEW
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher
If there was any justice in the world, T.E. Lawrence — aka Lawrence of Arabia — would be known as “the male Gertrude Bell,” instead of Bell being spoken of, when she is spoken of at all, as “the female Lawrence of Arabia.” Lawrence, 20 years her junior, was barely out of diapers when Bell first ...
Played at
Monica Film Center 6.08.17 - 7.02.17
Claremont 5 6.17.17 - 6.25.17
Playhouse 7 6.17.17 - 7.02.17
Fine Arts Theatre 6.30.17 - 7.06.17
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