Beginning tomorrow, the Tivoli Cinemas in Westport, Kansas City, will show the documentary, Letters from Baghdad, which examines the life of Gertrude Bell, and her role in the Middle East during World War I.

From the Tivoli’s  e-blast:  Executive produced and voiced by Academy award winner Tilda Swinton, LETTERS FROM BAGHDAD is the remarkable story of a true original —Gertrude Bell — sometimes called the female “Lawrence of Arabia”. A British spy, explorer and political powerhouse, Bell helped shape the Middle East after WWI. Using never-seen-before century old footage of the region, the documentary chronicles Bell’s extraordinary journey into the Arabian Desert and the inner sanctum of British male colonial power offering a unique look at both a complex woman and a tangled history that is eerily current with stunning parallels to today.

Meet Director Zeva Oelbaum – In Person on Opening Weekend.  Award-winning producer and photographer Zeva Oelbaum was born and raised in Kansas City, graduated from Southwest High School and was a summer intern for The Kansas City Star in college. Zeva will be here at the Tivoli for two screenings.

On Opening Night Friday, September 15th at 7:15pm Filmmaker Zeva Oelbaum will offer introductory remarks and then be joined by Doran Cart, Senior Curator of the National World War I Museum for an audience discussion following the screening.

On Saturday, September 16th at 1:15pm Zeva will be in attendance to introduce her film and offer an Audience Q&A following.

 

FRI – SUN: 1:15, 4:15 & 7:15:  MON – WED: 1:15 & 7:15: THUR: 1:15 & 7:15

Blair Tarr is the Museum Curator of the Kansas State Historical Society. He oversees the three-dimensional collections of the Society, but has special interests in the Civil War, Wichita-made Valentine diners, and Leavenworth's Abernathy Furniture. In the last few years he has also done a lot of cramming on The Great War. He is a past president of the Kansas Museums Association and the Civil War Round Tables of both Kansas City and Eastern Kansas. He is currently a board member of the Heritage League of Greater Kansas City.