The Green Prince

The Green Prince

This real life thriller tells the story of one of Israel's prized intelligence sources, the son of a top Hamas leader. Under the code name "The Green Prince", he is recruited to spy on his own people for over a decade. Focusing on his complex relationship with his handler, this is a gripping account of terror, betrayal, impossible choices - and of a friendship that defies all boundaries.

Set against a backdrop of recent events in the Middle East, Nadav Schirman's THE GREEN PRINCE is a multi layered psychological thriller. Combining exclusive first person testimony, dramatic action sequences and never-before-seen archive footage, this is a powerful cinematic experience - a spy thriller that will have audiences on the edge of their seats. The film was produced by Schirman along with two-time Oscar winner Simon Chinn ("Man on Wire" and "Searching for Sugar Man") and Oscar winner John Battsek ("One Day in September", "The Tillman Story").

"... as gripping as any high-concept Hollywood thriller" - The Guardian

Festivals: Sundance IFF, Seattle IFF, CPH:DOX, Moscow IFF, IDFA Amsterdam, Stockholm IFF, Sao Paulo IFF, Hong Kong IFF

Mosab Hassan Youssef always sits with his back to the wall and his eyes on the door. He changes apartments frequently. He has to, if he wants to stay alive. Considered a traitor by his family and his people, Mosab is alone. His only friend is his former enemy. His father is Sheikh Hassan Youssef, one of the seven founding members of Hamas and one of its most popular leaders. He's in prison now. Mosab put him there; to "protect" him. For over a decade Mosab - code name: "The Green Prince" - was the number one source for the infamous Shin Bet, Israel's secret security service. Recruited at 17, he went on to betray his kith and kin to spy for his former enemy in the heart of his father's organisation.His Shin Bet handler, Gonen Ben Yitzhak, once considered one of the rising stars of the service, risked everything - including treason - to save him. The special bond between Mosab and Gonen made for one of the most unlikely but effective partnerships in the history of Israeli intelligence. It led to the arrest of top terrorist masterminds, prevented multiple suicide bombings and revealed crucial secrets which would have a direct impact on major political events. In a world of lies and deceit they learned to trust one another. Ultimately, though, they had to turn against their own in order to save themselves.

Opening film of the World Cinema Documentary Competition at Sundance International Film Festival 2014.