Letters from Baghdad
Synopsis
Gertrude Bell was a pioneering English writer, archaeologist, diplomat and spy whose travels through the Arabian desert gave her local knowledge unparalleled by her British peers. Recruited by British Military Intelligence after World War I, she played a significant – often unrecognised – role in British imperial policy-making in the Middle East, notably Iraq. Openly critical of colonial practices, Bell’s insights are a singular, prescient prism through which to understand both the Middle East and the all-male inner sanctum of British colonial power. Directors Oelbaum and Krayenbühl weave together a rich tapestry of fascinating archive alongside Bell’s writings, letters to her parents, and testimony from peers including TE Lawrence and Vita Sackville-West. Though writing a century ago, the acute contemporary relevance of Bell’s words is astonishing – at times even chilling. (LFF brochure)
Official Selection BFI London Film Festival 2016 - Journey Strand
Details
- Year
- 2016
- Type of film
- Features
- Running Time
- 95 mins
- Director
- Sabine Krayenbühl, Zeva Oelbaum
- Producer
- Zeva Oelbaum
- Co-Producer
- Mia Bays, Christian Popp, Fabrice Esteve
- Executive Producer
- Tilda Swinton, Thelma Schoonmaker
- Editor
- Sabine Krayenbühl
- Director of Photography
- Gary Clarke, Petr Hlinomaz
- Sound
- Sound Editor: Margaret Crimsons
- Principal Cast
- With the voices of: Tilda Swinton, Rose Leslie, Pip Torrens; Additional Cast: Andrew Havill, Rachel Stirling
Genre
Production status
Complete
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Last updated 23rd October 2016
