Magnolia Pictures debuted the official trailer for A Compassionate Spy, the documentary on Manhattan Project scientist Theodore Hall, who shared classified nuclear secrets with Russia. The story is told through a long interview with Hall and his wife Joan, archive footage and some dramatic reenactments.
Directed by two-time Oscar® nominated filmmaker Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Life Itself) A Compassionate Spy world-premiered at the Venice Film Festival ahead of its North American launch at Telluride; and opens in theaters and VOD with a release date of August 4th, 2023.
A Compassionate Spy is a gripping real-life spy thriller about controversial Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall, who infamously provided nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union, told through the perspective of his loving wife Joan, who protected his secret for decades.
Recruited in 1944 as an 18-year-old Harvard undergraduate to help Robert Oppenheimer and his team create a bomb, Hall was the youngest physicist on the Manhattan Project, and didn’t share his colleagues’ elation after the successful detonation of the world’s first atomic bomb. Concerned that a U.S. post-war monopoly on such a powerful weapon could lead to nuclear catastrophe, Hall began passing key information about the bomb’s construction to the Soviet Union. After the war, he met, fell in love with, and married Joan, a fellow student with whom he shared a passion for classical music and socialist causes — and the explosive secret of his espionage. The pair raised a family while living under a cloud of suspicion and years of FBI surveillance and intimidation.
A Compassionate Spy reveals the twists and turns of this real-life spy story, its profound impact on nuclear history, and the couple’s remarkable love and life together during more than 50 years of marriage.
In their review (B), The Playlist wrote, “Ultimately, “A Compassionate Spy” is an interesting documentary about a story that many people might not be fully aware of, with stunning interviews with people who knew Ted Hall and faithful, compelling reenactments that put the viewer in his position. Steve James’ film not only convinces you to believe that a compassionate spy can exist but also to have compassion for a man who committed a traitorous act. And even though the editorial choices are leading in their execution, it’s no secret that “A Compassionate Spy” is a moving, thoughtful documentary.”
Watch the official trailer for A Compassionate Spy.