Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

Jan 6, 2017

1h 28m

★ 6.7

Overview

The incredible saga of the Chinese immigrant Sung family, owners of Abacus Federal Savings of Chinatown, New York. Accused of mortgage fraud by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., Abacus becomes the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The indictment and subsequent trial forces the Sung family to defend themselves – and their bank’s legacy in the Chinatown community – over the course of a five-year legal battle.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

Kartemquin Films

ITVS

Corporation for Public Broadcasting

FRONTLINE

Motto Pictures

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail Trailers

Cast

Himself

Neil Barofsky

Herself

Ti-Hua Chang

Himself

Jiayang Fan

Himself

Roman Fuzaylov

Herself - Chief, D.A.'s Major Economic Crimes Bureau

Polly Greenberg

Herself

Linda Hall

Himself

Don Lee

Himself

David Lindorff

Himself

Kevin Puvalowski

Herself

Chanterelle Sung

Herself

Heather Sung

Herself

Hwei Lin Sung

A film that exposes the shocking truth behind the economic crisis of 2008. The global financial meltdown, at a cost of over $20 trillion, resulted in millions of people losing their homes and jobs. Through extensive research and interviews with major financial insiders, politicians and journalists, Inside Job traces the rise of a rogue industry and unveils the corrosive relationships which have corrupted politics, regulation and academia.

6.2

Black Box BRD

May 24, 2001

Black Box BRD steps back into German history, showing the Federal Republic of Germany of the 70s and 80s. The country is polarized due to the power struggle of the German state and the "Red Army Faction". Society is torn, the fronts are irreconcilable. The life stories of both Wolfgang Grams and Alfred Herrhausen are tragically linked to this era. Grams is the one who takes up arms for moral rigor; Herrhausen however seizes power and dies when powerful.

8.0

Laboratory Greece

Dec 8, 2019

A journey through Greece and Europe’s past and recent history: from the Second World War to the current crisis. It is a historical documentary, a look into many stories. «If Democracy can be destroyed in Greece, it can be destroyed throughout Europe» Paul Craig Roberts

0.0

The Man with the Lantern

Jan 22, 2018

To discover the truth behind the mysterious objects her uncle brought back from the Far East during her childhood, filmmaker Francesca Lixi embarks on a journey to those places through archival footage.

8.0

Banking the Unbanked

Jun 1, 2009

No overview available.

0.0

Synonymous With

Apr 12, 2021

A student's increasingly intimate line of questioning causes his interview with a local horror host to take a vulnerable turn.

6.3

Banking on Bitcoin

Dec 30, 2016

Not since the invention of the Internet has there been such a disruptive technology as Bitcoin. Bitcoin's early pioneers sought to blur the lines of sovereignty and the financial status quo. After years of underground development Bitcoin grabbed the attention of a curious public, and the ire of the regulators the technology had subverted. After landmark arrests of prominent cyber criminals Bitcoin faces its most severe adversary yet, the very banks it was built to destroy.

No Image Available

0.0

Pig Tusks and Paper Money

Jan 1, 1999

In Papua New Guinea, pig tusks and shell money are currencies which can buy most things. Henry Tokubak’s dream is to create the first bank where traditional money counts as legal tender.

0.0

Using the Bank

Jan 1, 1947

The film illustrates the various services provided by a bank through the experience of Mr. Frank Adams. It details his process of depositing money, the growth of his savings account with interest, and his successful application for a loan to start a hardware business. The film highlights the importance of banking services, including savings accounts, loans, and checking accounts, and emphasizes the security and convenience offered by banks. Mr. Adams' journey showcases how banking can support personal financial growth and business development.

7.3

Money as Debt II

Jan 1, 2009

Bailouts, stimulus packages, debt piled upon debt…Where will it all end? How did we get into a situation where there has never been more material wealth & productivity and yet everyone is in debt to bankers? And now, all of a sudden, the bankers have no money and we the taxpayers, have to rescue them by going even further into debt! Money as debt II explores the baffling, fraudulent and destructive arithmetic of the money system that holds us hostage to a forever growing DEBT… and how we might evolve beyond it into a new era.

7.0

Crise, dette, chômage : qui crée l'argent ?

Mar 21, 2014

No overview available.

No Image Available

0.0

The two faces of money

Invalid Date

Money has become the drug of our societies. Confronted with this phenomenon, citizens all over the world are inventing complementary currencies for social ends and are opening the debate: What is money for?

5.7

Employee of the Month

Jan 17, 2004

"Employee of the Month" is about a guy whose day spirals from bad to worse when he gets fired from his dream job at the bank and is dumped by his fiancée Sara. David's best friend Jack tries to convince him it's for the best, but the opposite occurs when bank robberies and millions of dollars become part of his day from hell.

5.8

The Caper of the Golden Bulls

May 24, 1967

Peter Churchman stopped robbing banks a long time ago and is now living as a wealthy and respected citizen in Pamplona, Spain. But then his former companion Angela appears and blackmails him to help her robbing the Spanish National Bank of Pamplona. He gives in and develops a brilliant plan... Will this be then end of his comfortable life?

6.9

Breakdown

May 2, 1997

On their cross-country drive, a married couple, Jeff and Amy Taylor, experience car trouble after their SUV breaks down. Stranded in the New Mexico desert, the two catch a break when a passing truck driver offers Amy a ride to a nearby café to call for help. Meanwhile, Jeff is able to fix the car and make his way to the café, but Amy isn't there. He tracks down the trucker ― who tells the police he's never seen Jeff or his wife before. Jeff then begins a desperate, frenzied search for Amy.

6.5

Assassins

Oct 6, 1995

Assassin Robert Rath arrives at a funeral to kill a prominent mobster, only to witness a rival hired gun complete the job for him -- with grisly results. Horrified by the murder of innocent bystanders, Rath decides to take one last job and then return to civilian life. But finding his way out of the world of contract killing grows ever more dangerous as Rath falls for his female target and becomes a marked man himself.

5.7

Little Fish

Jul 19, 2005

Set in the Little Saigon district outside of Sydney, a woman trying to escape her past becomes embroiled in a drug deal.

6.5

Dobermann

Jun 18, 1997

The charismatic criminal Dobermann, who got his first gun when he was christened, leads a gang of brutal robbers. After a complex and brutal bank robbery, they are being hunted by the Paris police. The hunt is led by the sadistic cop Christini, who only has one goal: to catch Dobermann at any cost.

6.4

Small Time Crooks

May 19, 2000

A loser of a crook and his wife strike it rich when a botched bank job's cover business becomes a spectacular success.

No Image Available

7.2

Küss mich, wenn es Liebe ist

Mar 4, 2008

No overview available.