Producers of Official Secrets proposed a special screening near Cheltenham spy centre, only to be told it wouldn’t go down wellThe producers of Official Secrets, the film that tells the story of GCHQ whistleblower Katharine Gun, had to be dissuaded by Whitehall insiders from holding a special screening in Cheltenham, where the spy agency is based, the Observer has learned. Security agency sources say the film’s producer, Ged Doherty, asked them if they thought staff at the vast eavesdropping centre would welcome the chance to see the film starring Keira Knightley near where they work.
But the producer was advised this would not be a good idea. “Katharine Gun is not a popular figure at GCHQ; people still think her decision was a breach of national security. I think the producers were being a bit naive.”