Le Cercle began in 1953 as a quiet diplomatic channel between French and German politicians, built to fight communism and blunt Anglo-American influence in postwar Europe. The film traces how that small circle grew into a shadowy network of politicians, intelligence officers, and aristocrats, credited with pushing forward the European Economic Community and later accused of running propaganda operations that helped elect Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. Writer Brian Crozier emerges as a key operator, shaping messaging campaigns that reached the highest levels of Western governments. The documentary also examines Le Cercle's darker ventures, including pro-apartheid propaganda and covert interference in Cold War proxy conflicts across Africa and Asia. After the Soviet collapse, the group reportedly pivoted toward counterterrorism while keeping its membership and meetings secret. Drawing on archival material and historical research, the film reconstructs decades of behind-the-scenes maneuvering by a group that operated for years without public accountability, raising questions about how much influence unelected, unseen networks had over Cold War politics.