Letters from Baghdad
2016 · Movie · 95 min · ★ 6.7 · 78% critics
This documentary follows an adventurous British woman whose letters and journals trace her travels across the Middle East and her growing influence during and after World War I. Through her firsthand accounts, it explores how her relationships, knowledge, and work helped shape modern Iraq and still echo in the region today.
Where to watch
Streaming on PBS Video and PBS Documentaries.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 2016
- Release date
- 2017-04-21
- Language
- English
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Critic score
- 78/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.7/10 (14 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want an accessible history documentary built around personal letters, period footage, and big-picture Middle East context; Not for you if you want a tight, definitive verdict on her legacy like Maria By Callas.
Pros: fascinating historical letters; rich period photos; strong narration | Cons: title can mislead; impact feels underexplored; uneven focus at times
Themes
- woman director
Cast & crew
Tilda Swinton
as Gertrude Bell (voice)
Adam Astill
as Sgt. Frank Stafford
Tom Chadbon
as Sir Valentine 'Domnul' Chirol
Simon Chandler
as David Hogarth
Joanna David
as Janet Courtney
Anthony Edridge
as Sir Arnold 'A.T.' Wilson
Amed Hashimi
as Suleiman Faidhi
Andrew Havill
as Sir Percy Cox
Michael Higgs
as General Sir Gilbert Clayton
Hayat Kamille
as Mme. Jamil Zadeh
Directed by Sabine Krayenbühl, Zeva Oelbaum