1971

“Their story is both a cat-and-mouse thriller, told in well-handled reenactments, and an examination of the abuses of government power that could hardly be timelier.”—The Wrap

Before Edward Snowden, WikiLeaks, and even Watergate, there was the Citizens’ Commission to Investigate the FBI. On March 8, 1971, this group of eight ordinary citizens broke into an FBI office in Media, PA, and removed every file in the office. Mailed anonymously, the stolen documents started to show up in newsrooms. The heist yielded a trove of damning evidence, most significantly COINTELPRO, a controversial, secret, and illegal domestic surveillance program overseen by lifelong bureau director J. Edgar Hoover. Despite one of the largest investigations ever conducted, the FBI was unable to catch the burglars. Those responsible have never revealed their identities—until now. For the first time, the burglars have decided to speak about their actions in this gripping and pointedly relevant documentary. Citizenfour director (and Wexner Center Film/Video Studio alumna) Laura Poitras lends her expertise as one of the film’s executive producers. (79 mins., DCP)