DECEMBER 2022

Looking for something different to keep yourself entertained at home? Check out these recommendations from EL staff and readers. Plus, visit expatliving.sg for more ideas of things to read and watch!

TV & FILM

WWII spy films on Netflix

A Call to Spy This thrilling historical film from 2019 is based on a real event. At the start of the war, Winston Churchill knew that a vital way to get information was to build a base of spies to link up with the resistance in France. This led to women being used as spies for

the first time, as they were able to move under the radar more easily than men. The main character is an American woman who was previously denied a diplomatic role on account of her gender and the fact she had an artificial leg. She is joined by the first Muslim spy used by British secret operations, a Sufi pacifist who risked her life along with the others. Without this infrastructure and the information the women were able to pass back to the Allied Forces, the outcome of the war may have been different. It’s a great film to watch but pretty terrifying when you realise how easy it is for people to believe propaganda, and how others will do what they are told even though it’s not the right thing to do. In the early years of WWII, a secret team was set up to pass false information to the Germans via various spies – and making it look like it was real information was the key. In order to make the Nazis think the Allied Forces were invading Greece rather than Sicily, an ingenious plan was concocted for a corpse carrying supposedly top secret information to wash ashore in Spain, in a location with known Nazi sympathisers. As a viewer, you’re left with the question: if the information gets into the hands of the Nazis, would they believe it, or would they know that it’s a diversion? Like A Call to Spy , this is based on a true story, and it features a stellar cast including Colin Firth and Penelope Wilton. Rebecca Bisset Operation Mincemeat

Andor Disney+

Yet another Star Wars offshoot, this time a prequel to the underrated movie Rogue One , this series follows Cassian Andor’s struggle to escape the clutches of the omnipresent e v i l Emp i r e . Th i s f i r s t season is a cleverly made, very watchable lead-in to the formative years of the rebels and their fight to restore freedom and justice to the galaxy. Highly recommended and suitable for all the family. Jason Keys

84

DECEMBER2022