Nothing is more dangerous than the truth|Aug. 30, 2019|United Kingdom | United States|112 Min.|R
Genre: Drama;History;Thriller
Description: Official Secrets is a 2019 drama film based on true events. In early 2003, Katharine Gun, a GCHQ analyst, discovers a memo revealing a joint US and UK operation to spy on diplomats from several non-permanent UN Security Council member states, including Cameroon, Chile, Bulgaria, and Guinea. The goal is to gather compromising information to influence a resolution supporting the invasion of Iraq. Disturbed by the deception behind the impending war, Katharine leaks the memo to a friend in the anti-war movement. It eventually reaches journalist Martin Bright from *The Observer*.
Martin, with the approval of the newspaper’s foreign editor Peter Beaumont, investigates the memo’s authenticity. He collaborates with Ed Vulliamy, *The Observer’s* Washington correspondent, to contact Frank Koza, the author of the memo and a National Security Agency official. Despite *The Observer’s* pro-war stance, editor Roger Alton agrees to publish the story after verifying the memo’s legitimacy.
The memo’s publication in March 2003 sparks widespread public and media attention. Attempts to discredit the document, such as by *The Drudge Report*, are thwarted when Martin produces the original memo, confirming its authenticity. Meanwhile, GCHQ launches an internal investigation, and Katharine, aiming to prevent the Iraq invasion and protect her colleagues, admits to leaking the memo. She is arrested and briefly detained before being released on bail.
Following the outbreak of the Iraq War, Katharine seeks legal assistance from Liberty lawyers Ben Emmerson and Shami Chakrabarti. The film highlights her courageous actions and the ethical dilemmas surrounding truth, loyalty, and justice during a pivotal moment in history.
Cast director: Gavin Hood
Cast actor: Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Ralph Fiennes, Adam Bakri, Matthew Goode, Rhys Ifans, Indira Varma, John Heffernan, Conleth Hill, Jack Farthing
Original name: Official Secrets