Press Release

Thursday, 14 October 1999

Five hundred Agency employees and guests of the Agency and SHOWTIME/ PARAMOUNT NETWORK TELEVISION came to CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, last night for the premiere screening of the spy thriller, "IN THE COMPANY OF SPIES." The one hour and 45-minte film was directed by actor Tim Matheson and stars Oscar-nominated actor Tom Berenger and Tony Award-winning actor Ron Silver. The story follows a retired CIA Operations Officer (Berenger) who is brought back into action by the Director of Central Intelligence (Silver) to save a captured colleague held in North Korea.

CIA hosted the presentation for employees and guests because it captures the profound dedication of the Agency’s men and women to the CIA’s mission and deep commitment to saving American lives and protecting American interests all over the world. It gives the viewer a sense of the effort and the expertise—the risks and the sacrifices—that the Agency’s essential intelligence work for the nation entails. Most important of all, it shows the integrity, excellence and bravery of Agency people.

For the same reasons, CIA agreed to cooperate in the production of the film, some of which was filmed at CIA Headquarters. Some 50 Agency employees, in fact, volunteered to participate off-duty as "extras" during one day of weekend filming.