Dogwoof Breaks World Sales Records for CIA Spymaster Documentary “The Last Spy”

Documentary company Dogwoof has handled worldwide sales for The Last Spy, the biography of CIA intelligence chief Peter Sichel, who turns 102 today.

The film was written and directed by Katharina Otto-Bernstein, who earned Emmy nominations as one of the producers of “Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures” and “The Price of Everything.” Dogwoof was attached to both films. Otto-Bernstein most recently served as a producer on “Joyland,” winner of the Cannes Jury Prize, and was an executive producer on Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada,” which premiered at Cannes.

The Last Spy is an insider’s perspective on the CIA. Sichel explores the roots of the conflicts that plague today’s world and the toll that espionage has taken on his personal life. A German-born Jew, Sichel’s dramatic journey from escaping fascism to a career in the CIA is told with plenty of wit and humor.

The post-production documentary features exclusive access to Sichel and his family, Pulitzer Prize-winning Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein, and several key political correspondents.

Dogwoof plans to release the film in early 2025.

Sichel said: “I am delighted to have had the opportunity to tell the story of my long life in this film. I have lived through the horrors and wonders of the last 100 years and I hope the world will learn to live more sensibly in order to survive.”

Otto-Bernstein said, “Peter tells the story of his life with verve and a caustic sense of humor, while delving deeply into the world of foreign interference and covert intelligence with deserved authority. At 102, he is the last living witness to the sources of many of our current political and social conflicts and the crucial link between past and present. Working with Peter has been a privilege, an education, and an unforgettable experience. Happy birthday, dear friend. And much more.”

The producers are Film Manufacturers and KJ Entertainment Production, in association with Schenk Productions, Drymen Pictures, Mass Distraction Media and Hangtime International Pictures.

Music by David Benjamin Steinberg. Edited by Matthew Cohn. Cinematography by James Carman.

Co-producer is Federica Belletti. Executive producers are Simon Kilmurry, Frida Torresblanco and David Dinerstein. Producers are Oleg Dubson, Sabine Schenk, Otto-Bernstein and Kathrin Lohmann.