In
2006, filmmaker Danny Schechter was denounced by some reviewers
as an alarmist for his film 'In Debt We Trust,'
which warned of the coming credit crisis. He was labeled a doom
and gloomer, until the economy melted down, vindicating
his warnings. His new film, 'Plunder: The Crime Of Our Time'
is a hard-hitting investigative film that shows how the financial
crisis was built on a foundation of criminal activity.
To
tell this story, Schechter speaks with bankers involved in these
activities, respected economists, insider experts, top journalists
including Paul Krugman, and even a convicted white-collar criminal,
Sam Antar, who blows the whistle on intentionally dishonest
practices.
'Plunder:
the Crime of Our Time' looks into how the crisis developed,
from the mysterious collapse of Bear Stearns to the shadowy
world of trillion dollar hedge funds. Insiders who work in the
industry and know it well tell both of these stories. 'Plunder'
also shows how hastily arranged government bailouts did not
revive the economy and may have lost billions.
Ultimately
the film calls for a full investigation and structural reforms
of financial institutions to insure accountability by the white-collar
perpetrators who profited from the misery of their victims.