A Compassionate Spy

Documentary • NR • Directed by: Steve James • 102 minutes

Recruited in 1944 to help create the world's first atomic bomb, Ted Hall was the youngest physicist on the Manhattan Project. Concerned that a U.S. post-war monopoly on such a powerful weapon could lead to nuclear catastrophe, Hall began passing key intel to the Soviet Union. After the war, he fell in love with and married Joan, a fellow student with whom he shared a passion for the explosive secret of his espionage. The pair raised a family while living under years of FBI surveillance and intimidation. A Compassionate Spy, from two-time Oscar nominee Steve James (Hoop Dreams), reveals the twists and turns of this real-life spy story, its profound impact on history, and the couple’s remarkable love and life together during more than 50 years of marriage.