The Last Spy

Before he died in 2025 at age 102, CIA spy master Peter Sichel—a k a the “Jewish James Bond,” as some friends called him—sat down for a wide-ranging interview. The result is a fascinating conversation that provides the backbone for Katharina Otto-Bernstein’s gripping documentary. After perilously immigrating with his wine merchant family from Nazi Germany to France and then to New York, he enlisted in the U.S. Army to fight Hitler. Soon enough he is recognized for his ability to turn German POWs into spies—the beginning of a brilliant and dangerous career that would lead to his taking part in the formation of the CIA and the country’s prolonged involvement in the Cold War. Sichel recounts his experiences with honesty and wit, which the director embellishes with historical images and footage to create a real-life noir.