Gertrude Bell: Letters from Baghdad

FAIN: TW-50380-14

Independent Feature Project, Inc. (Brooklyn, NY 11201-1122)
Zeva Oelbaum (Project Director: June 2013 to May 2017)

Development of 90-minute documentary on Gertrude Bell (1868-1926), a British woman who played a decisive role in the creation of Iraq and the modern Middle East.

The most iconic images of Iraq may be the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue at the beginning of the war and Saddam Hussein himself being dragged from a hole later in the conflict, but for most Westerners the larger story of this ancient seat of civilization between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers remains opaque. Our documentary film, "Gertrude Bell: Letters from Baghdad," will peel back the layers of time to reveal the origins of the state of Iraq, through the extraordinary story of a woman who played an essential role in its creation. The film will be produced and directed by award-winning filmmakers Zeva Oelbaum ("Ahead of Time") and Sabine Krayenbühl ("My Architect" and "Mad Hot Ballroom") for public television broadcast and theatrical release, and for use in educational markets. We are requesting a development grant of $75,000 from the NEH’s Bridging Cultures through Film initiative for "Gertrude Bell: Letters from Baghdad."