Is the movie A Call to Spy (2020) based on a true story?

Yes, A Call to Spy (2020) is based on a true story. The movie follows the story of three women - Virginia Hall, Noor Inayat Khan, and Vera Atkins - who served as spies for the British during World War II. Virginia Hall and Noor Inayat Khan were both part of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a British organization established to conduct espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance in occupied Europe. Vera Atkins, on the other hand, worked as a French Section intelligence officer, tasked with recruiting and training spies for the SOE.

What is the true story behind the movie A Call to Spy (2020)?

The movie “A Call to Spy” (2020) is based on the true story of three women - Virginia Hall, Noor Inayat Khan, and Vera Atkins - who worked as spies for the British government during World War II.

Virginia Hall, an American, was initially rejected by the US foreign service due to her gender and disability (she had a prosthetic leg). She instead joined the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) and was sent to France to work as a spy. Hall recruited and trained resistance fighters, supplied weapons and explosives, and set up safe houses for other agents. She became a critical asset to the Allied war effort and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by the US government.

Noor Inayat Khan was a Sufi Muslim of Indian and American descent who grew up in France. She also joined the SOE and was sent to Paris as a wireless operator. Despite being the only wireless operator remaining in Paris after her colleagues were arrested, she continued to transmit messages until she was betrayed and captured by the Gestapo. She was subjected to torture but refused to give any information and was ultimately executed at Dachau concentration camp at the age of 30.

Vera Atkins was a Romanian Jew who worked as a recruiter and intelligence officer for the SOE. After the war, she was tasked with investigating the fate of missing British agents, many of whom were women. She spent years tracking down their stories and was credited with bringing closure to many families.

The movie primarily focuses on the story of Noor Inayat Khan, but also features Virginia Hall and Vera Atkins as supporting characters.