Voiced by Tilda Swinton, this fascinating documentary – screened to acclaim at LFF 2016 – explores the extraordinary life of English writer, archaeologist, diplomat and spy Gertrude Bell.
As a young woman she travelled extensively throughout the Middle East, from Palestine to Syria to Iraq (then Mesopotamia), producing maps and scholarly works and becoming fluent in Arabic and Persian. Her talents eventually recognised by British Military Intelligence, she wielded significant political power in British Imperial policy across the Middle East – the only woman to do so – working closely with tribal Arabs to help soldiers move across the desert during World War I.
Openly critical of colonialism, the film shows how her work offered a counterpoint to typical British all-male colonial power; and that her ideas about the future of the region were in many cases stunningly prescient.
Reflecting on Bell’s remarkable character, filmmakers Zeva Oelbaum and Sabine Krayenbühl present a rich tapestry of archive footage alongside letters, spoken aloud by Swinton, and testimony from Bell’s peers including TE Lawrence and Vita Sackville-West.
