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Abacus : small enough to jail

James, Steve, 1955- (film director.). Mitten, Mark, 1958- (film producer.). Goldman, Julie, (film producer.). Sung, Thomas, 1935- (interviewee.). Sung, Jill, (interviewee.). Sung, Vera, (interviewee.). Bergmann, Tom, (director of photography.). Farbrother, John, 1968- (editor of moving image work.). Simpson, David E., (editor of moving image work.). Abrams, Josh, (composer (expression)). Mitten Media, (production company.). Motto Pictures, (production company.). Kartemquin Films, (production company.). WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.), (broadcaster.). Independent Television Service, (broadcaster.). Blue Ice Docs, (production company.). PBS Distribution (Firm), (publisher.).

Acclaimed director Steve James tells the 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 bank prosecuted after 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.

DVD  - 2017
345.74702 Abacu
1 copy / 0 on hold

Available Copies by Location

Location
Victoria Available
  • ISBN: 9781531702205
  • Physical Description videodisc
    1 videodisc (approximately 90 min.) : sound, color with 1 black and white sequence ; 4 3/4 in.
  • Publisher [Arlington, Virginia] : PBS Distribution, [2017]

Content descriptions

General Note:
Widescreen.
GMD: videodisc.
Creation/Production Credits Note: Director of photography, Tom Bergmann ; editors, John Farbrother, David E. Simpson ; music, Joshua Abrams.
Participant or Performer Note: With: Thomas Sung, Jill Sung, Vera Sung, Heather Sung, David Lindorf, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., Chanterelle Sung, Polly Greenberg.
Date/Time and Place of an Event Note:
Originally broadcast by PBS Sept. 12, 2017.
System Details Note:
DVD; region 1, NTSC; widescreen presentation; 5.1 surround, 2.0 stereo.
Language Note:
English and Chinese dialogue; subtitles in English or Chinese.

Additional Information

Syndetic Solutions - Library Journal Review for UPC Number 841887033893
Abacus : Small Enough to Jail
Abacus : Small Enough to Jail
by James, Steve (Directed By)
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Library Journal Review

Abacus : Small Enough to Jail

Library Journal


(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Documentarian James (Hoop Dreams; The Interrupters) here tells the story of New York City's family-owned Abacus Federal Savings Bank, the only bank prosecuted after the subprime mortgage crisis. The Chinese American founder and his family talk on camera about how in 2009 they discovered loan irregularities made by several bank officers, whom they then fired before notifying their regulator. The local district attorney's office opened an investigation that led to a fraud indictment of the officers and the bank despite it having one of the nation's lowest mortgage default rates. The film follows the case's five-year duration through excerpts from court testimony, artist renderings, and news footage, plus on-screen discussions by experts, attorneys, jurors, and the Sungs. What make this film so riveting are its insights into the Chinese American community, extraordinary access to the family, and the spirit of the founder, his wife, and daughters. Verdict All viewers will find meaning in this sympathetic portrayal of a small bank against what appears to be the legal system's grasping for a scapegoat rather than taking on banks considered "too big to fail." [Nominated for a 2018 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.-Ed.]-Lawrence Maxted, Gannon Univ. Lib., Erie, PA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.