The Spymasters - CIA in the Crosshairs

About The Spymasters - CIA in the Crosshairs

The Spymasters - CIA in the Crosshairs is a documentary film released in 2015 that explores the conflict of power, policy and personality within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). It delves into the agency's controversial actions, secrets and failures through interviews with twelve former CIA directors and their top operatives. The documentary aims to shed light on the CIA's action in the war against terror from the inside.

Making / Production

The Spymasters - CIA in the Crosshairs was directed by Gédéon Naudet, Jules Naudet, and Chris Whipple. It involved extensive research and conducted insightful interviews with the CIA directors to give the audience a comprehensive view of the agency's inner workings and decisions affecting national security.

Participants

• John Brennan, as Himself: Provides insight from his tenure as the director of the CIA.
• Leon Panetta, as Himself: Shares experiences as director of CIA.
• Michael Morell , as Himself: Opens up about his role as former acting director and deputy director of the agency.
• David Petraeus, as Himself: Offers unique perspectives from his time as director of the CIA.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The Directors interviewed for this film include those who have served under nine different presidents, from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama.
• The film took approximately a year and a half to produce in entirety.
• The documentary drew fire for giving a platform to top officials who approved controversial methods.

Quotes

• "Our job is to steal secrets." - John Brennan
• "In many ways, I felt we were the only adults in the room." – Leon Panetta
• "The CIA doesn't do anything unless it's legal. The problem lies in what is defined as legal." - Michael Morell

Music, Soundtrack

• The haunting and cinematic music was composed by Paul Brill who received rave reviews for his work.