{"id":11480,"date":"2015-12-01T17:54:08","date_gmt":"2015-12-02T01:54:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/?post_type=films&p=11480"},"modified":"2025-05-20T11:21:38","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T18:21:38","slug":"terror","status":"publish","type":"films","link":"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/documentaries\/terror\/","title":{"rendered":"(T)ERROR"},"content":{"rendered":"

(T)ERROR<\/span><\/i> is the story of a 62-year-old Black Panther-turned-counterterrorism informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is the first film to document a covert terrorism sting as it unfolds. With unprecedented access to both the informant and the target, <\/span>(T)ERROR <\/span><\/i>captures the drama and intrigue of a spy novel, but with very real consequences.<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>Shariff” has been an FBI informant for decades, helping foil several terrorist plots, but the mounting strain of his risky trade and an unlikely acquaintance with a filmmaker leads him to document his last counterterror assignment, knowing all too well he’ll face repercussions from his handlers. <\/span><\/p>\n

As the case plays out, the film explores Shariff’s own turbulent and extraordinary personal history, from \u201crevolutionary patriot\u201d in Harlem to train-robbing convict, before eventually becoming a foot soldier in the war on terror. <\/span><\/p>\n

The result is a unique look into the complex and shadowy process by which the government tries to identify and address potential jihadist threats before they can manifest, and puts a human face on the people who are recruited to do the bidding of the American government, often risking their reputation and their lives as a result. Taut, stark, and controversial, <\/span>(T)ERROR<\/span><\/i> illuminates the fragile relationships between individuals and the surveillance state and asks: who is watching the watchers?<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(T)ERROR is the story of a 62-year-old Black Panther-turned-counterterrorism informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is the first film to document a covert terrorism sting as it unfolds. With unprecedented access to both the informant and the target, (T)ERROR captures the drama and intrigue of a spy novel, but with very real consequences. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":11933,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"topic":[1245,1225],"class_list":["post-11480","films","type-films","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","topic-crime","topic-politics-and-government"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n(T)ERROR | Documentary about FBI Counterterrorism Surveillance | Independent Lens | PBS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"(T)ERROR shines a light on shadowy world of FBI informants, government surveillance, and counterrorism operations, going deep inside an active terror sting.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dipsy.pbs.org\/independentlens\/documentaries\/terror\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta 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