Letters from Baghdad 2017
Distributed by Grasshopper Films, 12 East 32nd St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016
Produced by Zeva Oelbaum
Directed by Zeva Oelbaum and Sabine Krayenbühl
DVD, color and b&w, 95 min.
High School - General Adult
History, Women’s History
Date Entered: 01/29/2018
Reviewed by Alexander Rolfe, Technical Services Librarian, George Fox University, Newberg, ORGertrude Bell (1868-1926) played an important role in the Middle East, but is not very well known today. She earned the respect of the Arabs and her fellow Englishmen, and helped draw the boundaries of modern Iraq. She worked hard to install Faisal as the first king and served as a close aide. This documentary suggests he then tossed her aside, making her director of antiquities, a position she was well-qualified for, but that was a devastating demotion from the circles of political decision-making she was accustomed to. She died not long after.
This film uses primary sources exclusively, although actors speak lines from letters written by Bell and those who knew her (and do an impeccable job). It’s an immersive look at her life, filled with amazing video footage from the time, drawn from many different archives. It’s episodic rather than thorough, but covers the main aspects of her life, including family troubles back in England.