A Perfect Spy

North American Premiere

A Polish Jew who joined the Red Army to escape the Shoah and then later became a veteran of Israel's Independence war, for more than thirty years, Professor Marcus Klingberg was the head of Israel’s secret biological weapons program. Yet, unbeknownst to all, he had remained connected with the KGB. Tried in secret and sentenced to 20 years in prison, he is said to be "the most dangerous spy Israel has ever known.” This fascinating film delves into Marcus Klingberg's soul, his secret motives, his demons, his cracks, through never-before-heard recordings that became a unique confession. The film also draws on the testimonies of those who were close to him — his family, his friends, his professional contacts and the Israeli secret service officials who arrested him. With contributions by the late John Le Carré and cinematography by acclaimed American documentary filmmaker Kirsten Johnson (Dick Johnson Is Dead, Camera Person), A Perfect Spy is a film constructed like a spy novel, an intimate saga where the Cold War’s history, Israel’s hidden operations and the fate of a man torn between his roots and his convictions are intertwined.

Accompanying the film premiere is a discussion with directors Rémi Lainé & Yaël Vidan and moderator Rabbi Jeremy Barras, senior rabbi at Temple Beth Am. To view the conversation please click here.