Narrated and produced by Oscar winning actress Tilda Swinton, "Letters from Baghdad" tells the story of adventurer, diplomat, and British spy Gertrude Bell, who helped shape the destiny of the Middle East afer World War I in ways that still reverberate today. Overshadowed now by her colleague T.E. Lawrence and labeled "the female Lawrence of Arabia," Bell was prophetic on the conflicting allegiances and dangers of Western intervention in the region. "Had more political leaders heeded Bell’s advice regarding Arab autonomy, cultural sensitivities and the dangers of sectarianism, perhaps the region would look very different today... Provides a sturdy, often exhilarating bridge between the present and a past that not only isn’t distant, but isn’t even really past." - Washington Post
"Reaffirms Bell’s legacy as pivotal in the West’s understanding of the Middle East...Bell is the real thing, intrepid, fierce and smart." - L.A. Times
"It is one of the injustices of the universe that the fame of TE Lawrence, AKA Lawrence of Arabia, lives on, while far fewer people are familiar with the biography of his contemporary and comrade-in-diplomacy, Gertrude Bell (1868-1926), a character no less colourful, charismatic and compelling than Lawrence." - The Guardian
SYNOPSIS: Explorer Gertrude Bell traveled widely in Arabia before being recruited by British military intelligence to help draw the borders of Iraq after WWI. Using never-before-seen footage of the region, this new film chronicles Bell's extraordinary journey into both uncharted Arabian desert and the inner sanctum of British male colonial power. With unique access to documents from the Iraq National Library archive and Bell''s thousands of letters, the story is told entirely in the words of the players of the day, excerpted verbatim from intimate letters, private diaries, and secret communiques. 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. Not rated, 95 mins.
***Please note that NO OUTSIDE DRINKS OR FOOD are allowed inside Richards' Goat Tavern for legal reasons and violators of this rule may be banned from the theatre permanently. Cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages, popcorn, and cookies are available at the bar. If you are interested in one of our hot food specials, please show up at least 30 minutes early to finish it in the bar area, as hot food is not allowed inside the dark theatre for your safety. Thank you, see you at the movies!
