Yuval Adler's The Operative: A Female Spy Thriller Deconstructing Espionage

Yuval Adler's spy thriller 'The Operative,' starring Diane Kruger as Mossad agent Rachel Currin, premiered out of competition at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival. Based on Yiftach Reicher Atir's novel 'The English Teacher,' the film eschews traditional espionage tropes to explore the psychological cost of becoming invisible. Kruger's Rachel is an accidental spy—non-ideological, non-Jewish, and psychologically suited to a life of simulation. The narrative begins with Rachel's coded phone call to her handler Thomas Hirsch (Martin Freeman), then unfolds through flashbacks. Unlike the glamorous Charlie Ross in Park Chan-wook's 'The Little Drummer Girl,' Rachel is a real woman grappling with identity loss. Kruger noted in a press conference that Rachel 'does not kill, is not a killer,' distinguishing her from James Bond or Jason Bourne. The film examines espionage as a procedural, focusing on the protagonist's internal experience rather than action set pieces. Adler stated the film is 'not really about Mossad or about Israel' but about a woman recruited into intelligence. Rachel's character embodies the Athena archetype from Jean S. Bolen's 'Goddesses in Everywoman,' rational and action-oriented. The film's calm, dramatic tone is punctuated by rare violent moments, while Kruger's minimalist performance conveys ambivalence. The story is set partly in Tehran, where Rachel surveils Farhad Razavi (Cas Anvar), a target linked to Iran's nuclear program.