1971

1971 is a documentary by first time director Johanna Hamilton and produced by Citizenfour director Laura Poitras.

On March 8, 1971 eight ordinary citizens broke into an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania, took hundreds of secret files, and shared them with the public. In doing so, they uncovered the FBI’s vast and illegal regime of spying and intimidation of Americans exercising their First Amendment rights. The mission of the Citizens’ Commission to Investigate the FBI, as they called themselves, was a success. Despite searching for the people behind the heist in one of the largest investigations ever conducted, the FBI never solved the mystery of the break-in. The burglars weren’t looking for the spotlight, and so their identities remained a secret, and they returned to their normal lives. Until now. For the first time, the members of the Citizens’ Commission have decided to come forward and speak about their actions. 1971 is their story.

“My hope in telling this story for the first time,” explains Hamilton, “is that it will deepen the meaning and impact of the actions taken by the Citizens’ Commission – a band of suburban parents, university professors and community leaders. Their story will inspire audiences — young and old — and encourage them to think hard about the relevance of nonviolent, civil disobedience while reminding people what it means to be an engaged citizen, and how vigilance is needed to sustain democracy.”

1971 is rated PG.