1971 (2014 film)

American film by Johanna Hamilton February 2026 1971 File:1971 Hamilton documentary poster 2014.jpg Johanna Hamilton Marilyn Ness Katy Chevigny Abigail Disney Gabriella Hearst Laura Poitras Julie Goldman Lilly Hartley Johanna HamiltonGabriel Rhodes Philip Sheppard Big Mouth ProductionsFork FilmsMotto Productions First Run Features 1971 2019-01-29 http://firstrunfeatures.com/1971.html 2014 4 18 Tribeca 80 minutes United States English 1971 is a 2014 American documentary film and the directorial debut of producer Johanna Hamilton, who also co-wrote the film.Sutcliffe David Felix "A Different Approach to Dissent": 1971 Director Johanna Hamilton and Whistle Blowers on Government Abuses http://filmmakermagazine.com/85637-a-different-approach-to-dissent-1971-director-johanna-hamilton-and-whistle-blowers-on-government-abuses/ Filmmaker Magazine 9 October 2014 The film had its world premiere on 18 April 2014 at the Tribeca Film Festival and focuses on the break-in of an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania on Monday, March 8, 1971, to steal over 1000 classified documents.1971 http://tribecafilm.com/filmguide/53208a7fc07f5df7d20005a0-1971 Tribeca Film Festival 9 October 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141014051611/http://tribecafilm.com/filmguide/53208a7fc07f5df7d20005a0-1971 2014-10-14 dead It was pitched at the Sheffield Doc/Fest 2011 MeetMarket preceding its debut. The break-in took place on the night of the first Ali-Frazier boxing title fight dubbed the Fight of the Century. Hamilton was inspired to create the film after learning that Betty Medsger was working on her book The Burglary: The Discovery of J. Edgar Hoover’s Secret FBI, which discussed the 1971 events and revealed the identities of many of the participants, who had remained anonymous up to that point.Jennings Sheri Tribeca: Johanna Hamilton, 1971 http://www.screendaily.com/features/interviews/tribeca-johanna-hamilton-1971/5071051.article Screen Daily 9 October 2014 Synopsis The film focuses on the events of March 8, 1971, when eight people orchestrated the burglary and public distribution of government files from an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania. The theft was altogether different than the numerous contemporary draft board office break-ins, in which activists (including many of the burglars) burned government draft paperwork to interfere with America's continued participation in the Vietnam War. The group, all of whom were ordinary citizens, called themselves the Citizens' Commission to Investigate the FBI and stole every relevant file in the office. The goal of the burglars was to gather tangible evidence of government surveillance of civilian political activists, which was infringing on First Amendment rights. The stolen files exposed that the FBI was indeed running extensive, illegal operations intended to spread paranoia and distrust among numerous New Left and black civil rights organizations. (Other files included training manuals, information about organized crime, and information about draft resistance.) Over time, the group mailed copies of the files to various newsrooms. Most news organizations returned the files to the FBI and refused to run stories regarding the stolen documents, but the notable exception was The Washington Post, which ran a front-page story on March 24, 1971, about the files which were mailed to journalist Betty Medsger. Arguably the most significant element in the stolen materials turned out to be a single file mentioning "COINTELPRO", a secret surveillance program that was run by J. Edgar Hoover. Subsequent investigations and freedom of information requests regarding COINTELPRO played a role in the 1975 Church Committee. Reception thumb|upright=1.4|Site of the 1971 break-in in Media, Pennsylvania Critical reception for 1971 has been positive.1971 (2014) http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1971_2014/ Rotten Tomatoes 9 October 2014 Washingtonian and Variety both praised the work,Scheib Ronnie Film Review: '1971' https://variety.com/2014/more/reviews/film-review-1971-1201202631/ Variety 9 October 2014 which the Washingtonian described as "a compelling documentary that provides a powerful perspective on the current debate about the men and women who risk everything to disclose government secrets."Mullins Luke AFI Docs Review: "1971" https://washingtonian.com/2014/06/11/afi-docs-review-1971/ Washingtonian 9 October 2014 Indiewire also gave a favorable review, praising Hamilton's directing and stated "Her film is not celebratory, lingering on the notion that, with the public charade of COINTELPRO, ultimately the FBI won. While their post-break-in behaviors are mocked, the government credits itself with tactics specifically utilized to "enhance the paranoia," creating a culture of fear that still exists today."Toro Gabe Tribeca Review: Incendiary Political Documentary '1971' http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/tribeca-review-incendiary-political-documentary-1971-20140422 Indiewire 9 October 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20141015044324/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/tribeca-review-incendiary-political-documentary-1971-20140422 2014-10-15 dead See also List of films featuring surveillance References External links http://www.1971film.com 3478510 Category:2014 films Category:2014 documentary films Category:Films set in 1971 Category:American documentary films Category:Documentary films about United States history Category:Works about Federal Bureau of Investigation Category:1971 in American politics Category:2014 English-language films Category:2014 American films Category:English-language documentary films Category:Documentary films about Pennsylvania Category:Documentary films about activists