1971

Small acts of rebellion can have momentous consequences—a lesson that is expertly conveyed in filmmaker Johanna Hamilton's documentary about a March 1971 break-in by anti-war activists at a tiny, seemingly insignificant FBI office in Media, PA. Documents taken during the burglary and released to the media revealed the illegal surveillance of American citizens by the FBI. Together with other nearly simultaneous actions—including the publication of the Pentagon Papers, and a raid on the draft board in Camden, NJ—the revelations from the Media break-in led to the formation of a special congressional committee headed by Sen. Frank Church that investigated the activities of U.S. intelligence agencies and helped fashion laws limiting their scope. Hamilton skillfully weaves together interviews with members of the group that committed the robbery (who remained unidentified until 2014 but are now willing to discuss their motivation, the details of the plan, and the fears they lived with afterwards), archival materials (including news footage and stills), and evocative re-enactments of the crime, which was meticulously planned, but still ran into several unexpected obstacles as it unfolded. The group's success also raised the ire of J. Edgar Hoover, who deployed all of the FBI's considerable assets in an ultimately fruitless attempt to track down the perpetrators. 1971 manages to generate considerable suspense (even though the outcome is already known), while also raising questions about government overreach in response to perceived danger; questions that—considering Edward Snowden's revelations about contemporary NSA operations—remain painfully relevant. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)