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In “1971,” “The Citizen’s Committee to Investigate the FBI” confesses on camera for the first time to breaking into an FBI field office and leaking stolen files. Discussing the story’s uncanny resonance after over 40 years, director Johanna Hamilton sat down with The Guardian’s Nigel M. Smith as part of the International Documentary Association’s (IDA) screening series.
In the chat, Hamilton reveals that “1971,” which is composed of archival footage and reenactments, had been in the works long before the Edward Snowden documentary “Citizenfour.” Still, she admits that the issues of press and privacy raised by Snowden’s story had a significant impact on the film.
Hamilton and Smith also covered a range of topics, from how Hamilton came across the obscure story in the first place to Hamilton’s early tipoff that “Citizenfour” was coming. Check out the highlights from IDA’s discussion.
On How the Story of “1971” Developed
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On Hamilton’s Directorial Debut
On Using Reenactments in the Documentary
READ MORE: Tribeca Review: Incendiary Political Documentary ‘1971’
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