Forty years before WikiLeaks and the NSA scandal, there was Media, Pennsylvania. In 1971, eight activists plotted an intricate break-in to the local FBI offices to leak stolen documents and expose the illegal surveillance of ordinary Americans in an era of anti-war activism. In this riveting heist story, the perpetrators reveal themselves for the first time, reflecting on their actions and raising broader questions surrounding security leaks in activism today.
Direction
Recreations shot like a 70s paranoid thriller—grainy, urgent, gorgeous.
Editing
Seamlessly weaves confession, archival footage, and heist reconstruction.
Writing
Narrative structure builds genuine suspense despite knowing they got away.
Director
Johanna Hamilton
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The statute of limitations expired in 1976, but the group only revealed themselves in 2014 after Edward Snowden made their story newly relevant.
The stolen documents exposed COINTELPRO, the FBI's illegal program to surveil and disrupt civil rights groups—making this arguably the most consequential burglary in American political history.
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