Spying on Hitler’s Army: The Secret Recordings

2013 0h 47m EN

🤯

9.5

MASTERPIECE

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★9.5TMDB · 1★7.2IMDB · 16

DramaDocumentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

British intelligence undertook an audacious operation to listen in on the private conversations of 10,000 German prisoners of war without their ever knowing they were being overheard. The prisoners' unguarded reminiscences and unintentional confessions have only just come to light, and prove how closely the German army were involved in the atrocities of the Holocaust. British intelligence requisitioned three stately homes for this epic task, and converted each into an elaborate trap. The 100,000 hours of conversation they captured provided crucial intelligence that changed the course of the war, and revealed some of its worst horrors, from rape to mass executions to one of the earliest bulletins from the concentration camps. But when the fighting ended, the recordings were destroyed and the transcripts locked away for half a century. Only now have they been declassified, researched and cross-referenced.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Philip Glenister
Narrator
David Barrass
General Kittel
Nicholas Farrell
General von Thoma
Jack Fortune
General Bruhn
Rupert Frazer
General Cruwell
Richard Freeman
General Von Choltitz
Peter Harding
General Schlieben
Gareth Keiran Jones
Fried

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Christopher Spencer
Writers: Christopher Spencer
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 47-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 13 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Christopher Spencer, shot by Rob Goldie. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by David Mitcham. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Paul Crosby shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Philip Glenister and David Barrass and Nicholas Farrell carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt3523280 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Christopher Spencer directs. Rob Goldie behind the camera. David Mitcham scores. Paul Crosby cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 47-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 13 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Christopher Spencer, shot by Rob Goldie. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by David Mitcham. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Paul Crosby shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Philip Glenister and David Barrass and Nicholas Farrell carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt3523280 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.