1546203
1546203

The Rosenbergs: Atomic Spies

2025-02-08 fr 52m
DocumentaryHistory
Based on testimony by Ethel’s brother, David Greenglass, the Rosenbergs are arrested by the FBI. The couple is accused of passing secret information about the atomic bomb to the USSR. Though the Rosenbergs maintain their innocence from the start, the media and public opinion seem to have condemned them from day one. The trial does nothing to change this and ends in a death sentence. On Friday June 19, 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed in the electric chair. Julius first, then Ethel. 30 years later, the truth finally comes out. Declassified FBI archives reveal that Ethel was not guilty of being a spy; she was merely married to one. Julius did indeed commit espionage for the Soviet Union, though primarily as a recruiter, nothing at all like the fictional James Bond. This documentary, made entirely of archival footage and animated illustrations, offers a tale of espionage as well as a complex family tragedy.

Director

Julia Bracher

Writer

Julia Bracher

Producer

Stéphane Benhamou

Editor

Franck Zahler

Original Music Composer

Alexis Bruneel

Graphic Designer

Julien Condom

death penalty espionage atomic bomb death sentence antisemitism nuclear weapons red scare

Status

Released

Countries

  • France

Companies

  • ZED
  • Siècle Productions