Hello, and thanks for tuning in to another episode of The Directors' Cut, brought to by the Directors Guild of America,

featuring today's top directors sharing behind-the-scenes stories of their latest films and insights into the craft of directing.

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This episode takes us behind the scenes of director Gavin Hood's new biographical drama,

Official Secrets.

The film tells the true story of Catherine Gunn, a British intelligence specialist who leaked

information to the press about an illegal NSA spy operation, designed to collect compromising

information on UN Security Council members, and blackmail them into sanctioning the 2003

invasion of Iraq.

In addition to official secrets, Mr. Hood's credits include the feature films A Reasonable Man, Sotsie, Rendition, X-Men Origins Wolverine, Enders Game, and Eye in the Sky, the Movie for Television Tough Trade, and the pilot and episodes of Breakout Kings.

Following a recent screening of the film at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles, Mr. Hood spoke with director Philip Noyce about filming official secrets.

During their conversation, he discusses how he told the story of a different kind of whistleblower, the importance of directing bit parts to be the best they can be,

and his belief that a restrained approach was the best way to tell the story.

Okay, Gavin, how are you?

Hi, Phil. Very well. Thanks, everybody. Thank you, Philip, for being here.

So let me see. We met at a screening of Sotzi.

Yes, we did.

About a year, a year before it came out.

That's right.

You were coming to shoot a film in South Africa.

Looking for cast, as I recall.

In fact, you cast one of my actors, my leading actress.

...