THE LAST SPY is the riveting biography of 102-year-old CIA spymaster Peter Sichel who passed away earlier this year, revealing for the first time the epic and unvarnished history of the US foreign intelligence service from the inside. With a good dose of wit and humor to boot, Sichel unpacks the obscured roots of conflicts that plague today’s world and the toll espionage took on his personal life.

COMING SOON

STORY 

When the CIA discourages spymaster Peter Sichel from writing his memoirs and returns a heavily redacted manuscript, the sharp as ever102-year-old decided it was time to tell his own story—unredacted.

What he revealed is an extraordinary life lived at the crossroads of Western history and the shadowy world of intelligence. Born into a wealthy German Jewish family in 1922, his privileged life is shattered by Hitler’s rise to power. After his family is forced to flee to the U.S., he quickly finds himself to be a rising star in the OSS, America’s first intelligence agency. Known as the “Wunderkind” of espionage, he would go on to navigate the shadowy world of Cold War intrigue, uncovering Soviet secrets and witnessing the darker side of CIA operations. But his bold tactics would earn him both admiration and suspicion, with whispers of him being a Soviet spy casting a shadow over his allegiances.

A compelling, unfiltered account from a CIA spymaster, Sichel recounted his extraordinary life with wit and wisdom, reflecting on the many lives he has lived along the way.

FILMMAKERS

A two-time Emmy nominated filmmaker, Katharina Otto-Bernstein most recently served as a producer of Joyland, winner of the Cannes Jury prize, the Independent Spirit Award and short-listed for the Academy Award in 2023 and Oh, Canada (Cannes 2024.) Nonfiction works include HBO documentaries Absolute Wilson, Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, The Price of Everything and the documentaries Beautopia, When Night Falls Over Moscow, The Need of Speed, Obsessed with Light, and Crossing the River. Otto-Bernstein’s films have been screened at festivals worldwide, including Sundance, Berlin, Cannes Toronto and BFI London Film Festival. She has won the Silver Hugo (IFF Chicago) and has been nominated for Critics’ Choice Awards, Cinema Eye Award, and GLAAD Awards. Professional memberships include WGA, PGA, ATAS, IATAS, and NYWIFT.

REVIEWS

"Eye-opening, fascinating and wide-ranging... There is enough material to fill a miniseries, never mind a single feature." - Screen International

"This film (unfortunately) comes at exactly the right time. One of the most important lines Sichel utters in the film is: "It is our task to learn from the past and recognize connections.” This is what THE LAST SPY shows, as do the stories of Peter Sichel, whose life story definitely has the potential to become a Hollywood film." - The Spot Media and Film

"107 thrilling minutes that give viewers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the US Foreign Intelligence Service. With subtle humour, Sichel recalls his legendary life. Fascinating!" - Münchener Merkur

"THE LAST SPY becomes a gripping tell-all tale with insights into world politics that are fascinating and, more than once, even unsettling. Above all, the relevance to our present, both political and social, stands out, as Sichel asks what we are willing to learn from the mistakes of history. Score: 9 out of 10." - Film Rezensionen

"A fascinating look at the life of CIA spymaster Peter Sichel." - Jerusalem Post

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