The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has long been shrouded in secrecy and controversy, with much of what average people know about it gleaned from probably-not-entirely-accurate movies and TV shows. In recent years, concerns about the government spying not only on our enemies but also on our allies — and even on citizens — have put groups like the CIA into the spotlight more and more. The new Showtime documentary Spymasters — CIA in the Crosshairs looks to shed further light on the organization.
The film, narrated by Homeland star Mandy Patinkin, was written by Chris Whipple, who also wrote the documentary The President’s Gatekeepers. Where that film gathered all of the living presidential chiefs of staff for interviews, Spymasters similarly gets all 12 living directors of the CIA to speak out. Among them are George H.W. Bush, Robert Gates, George Tenet, Leon Panetta, David Petraeus and current director John Brennan. The interviews with these men are the focus of the film, as the producers gathered over 100 hours of “intimate and candid conversations” with them from the CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. Also interviewed are several top CIA operatives. Now, how much these people actually divulge remains to be seen, but it should be a fascinating start to finding out just what goes on behind closed doors.
Spymasters: CIA in the Crosshairs premieres Nov. 28 at 9pm ET/PT on Showtime.
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Overhead photo of officials meeting in the Oval Office: White House Photo/Courtesy of Showtime
