Documentary specialist Dogwoof has taken on worldwide sales for “The Last Spy,” a biography of CIA spymaster Peter Sichel, who turns 102 years old today.
The film was written and directed by Katharina Otto-Bernstein, who picked up Emmy nominations as one of the producers of “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures” and “The Price of Everything.” Dogwoof was attached to both films. Otto-Bernstein most recently served as a producer of “Joyland,” winner of the Cannes jury prize, and was an executive producer on Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada,” which premiered at Cannes.
“The Last Spy” looks at the history of the CIA from an insider’s perspective. Sichel unearths the roots of conflicts that plague today’s world and the toll espionage took on his personal life. Sichel, a German-born Jew, had a dramatic journey, from escaping fascism to his career in the CIA. He tells his story with a good dose of wit and humor.
The documentary, in post-production, features exclusive access to Sichel himself, as well as his family, Pulitzer Prize-winning Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein, and several key high-profile political correspondents.
Dogwoof aims to launch the film in early 2025.
Sichel said, “I am delighted that I could relate my long life in this film. I have lived through the horrors and the wonders of the last 100 years and I hope the world will learn to live more sensibly in order to survive.”
Otto-Bernstein said: “Peter recounts his life with panache and a wicked sense of humor, while deeply diving into the world of foreign interference and secret intelligence with well-deserved authority. At the age of 102, he is the last living witness to the origins of many of our current political and social conflicts, and the crucial connection between past and present. Working with Peter is a privilege, an education, and an unforgettable experience. Happy birthday, dear friend. And many more.”
The producers are Film Manufacturers and KJ Entertainment Production, in association with Schenk Productions, Drymen Pictures, Mass Distraction Media and Hangtime International Pictures.
Music is by David Benjamin Steinberg. The film is edited by Matthew Cohn. Cinematography is by James Carman.
The co-producer is Federica Belletti. Executive producers are Simon Kilmurry, Frida Torresblanco and David Dinerstein. It is produced by Oleg Dubson, Sabine Schenk, Otto-Bernstein and Kathrin Lohmann.
Source Agencies
