Letters from Baghdad (2016)

Gertrude Bell, the most powerful woman in the British Empire in her day, shaped the destiny of Iraq after WWI in ways that still reverberate today.

Directors:

Sabine Krayenbühl, Zeva Oelbaum

Stars:

Tilda Swinton, Michael Higgs, Eric Loscheider

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tilda Swinton	...	Gertrude Bell (voice)
Michael Higgs	...	General Sir Gilbert Clayton
Eric Loscheider	...	T.E. Lawrence
Rachael Stirling	...	Vita Sackville-West
Adam Astill	...	Sgt. Frank Stafford
Helen Ryan	...	Lady Florence Bell
Joanna David	...	Janet Courtney
Elizabeth Rider	...	Lady Elsa Richmond
Jürgen Kalwa	...	Dr. Friedrich Rosen
Tom Chadbon	...	Sir Valentine 'Domnul' Chirol
Simon Chandler	...	David Hogarth
Lucy Robinson	...	Lady Molly Trevelyan
Andrew Havill	...	Sir Percy Cox
Anthony Edridge	...	Sir Arnold 'A.T.' Wilson
Nicholas Woodeson	...	General Sir George MacMunn

Storyline

Gertrude Lowthian Bell, sometimes called the "female" Lawrence of Arabia was a British adventurer, archaeologist and political powerhouse, who helped shape the modern Middle East after World War I. Voiced and executive produced by Tilda Swinton, the film chronicles Bell's journey into the uncharted Arabian desert and all-male halls of colonial power with never-seen-before archival footage of the region shot a century ago. The film takes us into a past that is eerily current.

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Plot Keywords:

british | iraq | archival footage | middle east | f rated | 

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Taglines:

Gertrude Bell was as controversial as the history she made.

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

Facebook Official site

Country:

UK USA France

Language:

English Arabic

Release Date:

12 November 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gertrude Bell, rebell och diplomat

Filming Locations:

UK

Box Office

Budget:

$950,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,725, 4 June 2017

Gross USA:

$359,735

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$502,941

Company Credits

Production Co:

Between the Rivers Productions, Letters From Baghdad, Missing in Action Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Dolby 5.1)

Color:

Black and White (archival footage) Black and White (Super 16mm)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1 / (high definition)

Did You Know?

Goofs

This factual mistake happens in the German version. In the movie a title card reads: "Capture of Baghdad from the Turks: General Maude's Victory, March 11, 1917". This of course means that British forces under General Maude have captured Baghdad. However, the German version subtitles this as "Einnahme Bagdads durch die Türken: General Maudes Sieg, 11. März 1917". This translates as "Turkish forces capture Baghdad: General Maude's Victory, March 11, 1917". An obvious mistake.

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Connections

Features Mit dem Auto ins Morgenland (1926)

User Reviews

Lonely Planet

Long before there were guide books and people trekked through the Middle East, Gertrude Bell travelled on a camel through desert areas only inhabited by roving bandit chieftains. She kept meticulous notes of the various tribes, their relationships, and even carried an expensive transit/theodolite. She developed a very strong attachment to the area and its peoples. This was an age of great exploration, witness Col. Fawcett exploring the Amazon. What all these explorers developed was an intense and passionate interest in the places they visited. They learned the languages and studied the habits of the people.

The directors tell the story of Gertrude Bell's time in Mesopotamia or modern day Iraq through her many letters. They are absolutely fascinating in that not only is her interior life and feelings revealed, but a good deal of information about the political and social conditions in the empire at that time. I believe the directors were smart to stick to the letters and make them the focus of the story. The documentary is brilliant in what it doesn't say. The viewer can make up their own minds, the information is pretty overwhelming. What I found most fascinating were the monuments and historical objects that were uncovered. They indicate far earlier and complex civilizations that had a grasp of our place in nature and in the cosmos. Bell went to great lengths to establish a museum to preserve these artifacts to man's origin. Curiously both T. E. Lawrence and Gertrude Bell both had rather violent ends. One by an untimely motorcycle accident and the other by an overdose.