“In an age of a rebooted “Wonder Woman,” Bell is the real thing, intrepid, fierce and smart.” (Los Angeles Times)

Letters from Baghdad traces the remarkable true story of British spy, intrepid explorer, and political powerhouse Gertrude Bell. Over the years, Bell’s legacy has acquired the somewhat reductive tagline”the female Lawrence of Arabia,” but in this new documentary from filmmakers Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum, her achievements and her voice take center stage. Voiced by Tilda Swinton (Doctor Strange, A Bigger Splash), Bell was recruited by the British military to help draw the borders of Iraq after WWI and worked to found the nation’s museum of archaeology. With access to Bell’s massive collection of letters as well as never-before-seen archival footage of the region, this documentary offers a truly unique look at her extraordinary journey into both the uncharted Arabian desert and the inner sanctum of British male colonial power.