1950. While America is in its Red Scare period, a couple, apparently without incident, stirs up hatred of the anticommunists. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are arrested by the FBI following the testimony of David Greenglass, Ethel's brother.
The Rosenbergs are accused of having plotted for the benefit of the USSR and of having revealed the secrets of the atomic bomb. But if the couple never stops proclaiming their innocence, the media and public opinion seem to have condemned them in advance. The trial proves them right, it ends with the most terrible sentence: the death penalty. On Friday, June 19, just after 8 p.m., Julius and then Ethel perished in the electric chair.
30 years later, the truth finally comes out. The FBI archives are opened and reveal that Ethel was not guilty, she was only the wife of a spy. Because yes, Julius did spy for the Soviet Union, but as a simple recruiter, far from the fictional James Bond. This film, based on archival footage and animated illustrations, not only tells the spy story, but also reveals the complexity of a family tragedy.
Direction: Julia Bracher
Production: Siècle Productions for France Télévisions & RTBF
Delivery: January 2025