Philadelphia Film Society

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PFF SPRINGFEST – OFFICIAL SECRETS

CLOSING NIGHT FILM

GAVIN HOOD | UK, USA | ENGLISH | 2019 | 112 MIN

In this taut political thriller, Keira Knightley stars as Katharine Gun, a British secret service translator who was arrested in 2003 for leaking a confidential memo outlining plans for American and British agents to spy on UN member nations and illegally influence an upcoming vote on the war against Saddam Hussein. Determined to impede a war she believes is unjustified, Katharine leaks the memo to the press. But her actions come with a high price. She’s charged with violating the Official Secrets Act, an offense tantamount to treason. Meanwhile, the British government threatens to deport her husband Yasar (Adam Bakri), a Kurdish refugee. Aided by a tenacious lawyer (Ralph Fiennes), Katharine maintains that her crime was justified, and her trial becomes a de facto referendum on the Iraq War itself. Combining elements of espionage thriller and courtroom drama, Official Secrets offers a vital opportunity to re-examine a tumultuous moment from recent history, the reverberations of which are still being felt today.

Cast: Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Matthew Goode, Rhys Ifans

Part of PFF SPRINGFEST April 12-14 at the Philadelphia Film Center
With PFF SpringFest, the Philadelphia Film Society presents a mid-year survey of the freshest cinematic marvels from the international festival circuit–from American indie darlings and eye-opening documentaries to acclaimed foreign titles. Browse the full program HERE.

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