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Letters From Baghdad

Play trailer 2:12 Poster for Letters From Baghdad 2017 1h 35m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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84% Tomatometer 38 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
The story of Gertrude Bell, who helped shape Iraq's destiny following WWI.

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Letters From Baghdad

Critics Reviews

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Mark Feeney Boston Globe 09/20/2017
3.5/4
[Tilda] Swinton's vocal performance as Bell is so vivid and absorbing. Go to Full Review
Adam Graham Detroit News 07/14/2017
C-
Only the most loyal of Bell buffs need apply, everyone else would be better off sticking to her Wikipedia entry. Go to Full Review
G. Allen Johnson San Francisco Chronicle 06/14/2017
4/4
The result is something that feels fresh and modern. Go to Full Review
Erin Blackwell Bay Area Reporter 06/08/2020
Directors Zeva Oelbaum and Sabine Kayenbuehl have meticulously crafted an overly cautious but much-needed corrective to USA's disastrous, ongoing campaign of oil-based misinformation. Go to Full Review
Mary Pelletier Hyperallergic 02/06/2020
Watching the film feels almost like sifting through an archive yourself: The old footage, still photographs, and newspaper clippings are refreshingly displayed without contemporary commentary; the filmmakers have left that to us. Go to Full Review
Cate Marquis We Are Movie Geeks 04/29/2019
Despite its flaws, this documentary is worth one's patience simply to learn about this important but forgotten historical figure, and a remarkable woman far ahead of her time. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Merrick S 06/26/2020 Superb in every way. Timeless and timely. Gertrude Bell, like TE Lawrence, was an explorer and intelligence officer whose intimate knowledge of the Middle East led her to advocate for the establishment of independent states after the WW1 demise of the Ottoman Empire. A portrait of an apparently fearless proto-feminist heroine which also brims with insight into the tragic origins of present-day chaos. As one would expect from a project involving Thelma Schoomaker, Scorsese's long-time editor, the assemblage of vintage photography and film is nothing short of astonishing. See more 09/18/2017 Soooo slow moving and quite boring. No change of pace. See more 06/28/2017 Patchy and disjointed. In their effort to be 'pure' on historic material, the producers failed to fill in the real history of this fascinating woman. A little scripted narrative and some good graphic maps would have vastly improved this flick. See more 06/23/2017 Fascinating to have the details filled in and in such an interesting compilation is original photos and commentary by those who knew Bells story intimately. I enjoyed seeing T.E. Lawrence in his British uniform. The Arabs remember her fondly, and that speaks volumes. See more 06/06/2017 Fabulous movie. I was riveted from beginning to end. I felt like I had traveled in time and space. 2 intelligent historians spent 5 years gathering and complying archival film for the visual part of this art piece. Fascinating footage of Iraq and the surrounding area. Critics who say the film should include other historians giving their view or that the film should explore more the political context of then and now are so off-base. The directors have made every effort to provide the history as documented in letters and on film by the people who lived it. Don't miss seeing this important film about a brave and talented person who risked everything to love and know and protect "Mesopotamia". See more 05/01/2017 Interesting insight into an extraordinary woman who drew the map of Iraq. See more Read all reviews
Letters From Baghdad

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis The story of Gertrude Bell, who helped shape Iraq's destiny following WWI.
Director
Sabine Krayenbühl, Zeva Oelbaum
Distributor
Between the Rivers Productions
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 2, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 3, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$307.2K
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Dolby
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