American Casino documentary film trailer

Politicians and the media like to talk about the relationship between Wall Street and Main Street, but investigative journalist Leslie Cockburns debut feature gets to the guts of the matter, visiting defectors from Bear Stearns and Standard & Poors and other high-level players in the subprime mortgage gamble (not to mention Bloomberg's Mark Pittman, America's finest financial reporter) and, on the flipside, visiting the working-class Americans who were the unwitting chips on the table. Unique in coverage of the financial fiasco that is ruining us all, American Casino tracks the fate of a subprime borrower enmeshed in a Goldman-Sachs mortgage bond, catches Alan Greenspan in his most abject moment of self justification, and takes to the post-apocalyptic world of California's Riverside County, where millions of disease-bearing mosquitoes are breeding in the stagnant swimming pools of the foreclosed American dream. All this musically underscored by the irony and pathos of Moby, the caustic humor of Herbie Hancock, Bruce Springsteen's haunting evocation of the last great depression, as well as astonishing hip hop tracks from the streets of Baltimore.

Official selection Tribeca Film Fetival 2009

For more information visit www.americancasinothemovie.com

It is rare that a documentary director has the privilege to shoot a film that, while in production, becomes the greatest story of our time. The worst case scenario of January 2008, when we began work on American Casino, turned into reality in the year that followed. We were able to follow our characters through Wall Streets collapse, foreclosure, bankruptcy, homelessness. We watched whole neighborhoods ravaged by the subprime meltdown. I have spent much of my career filming in war zones and post apocalyptic societies — Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan. But I never expected such a disaster at home. To be there, with a camera, while it was happening, telling the story, was certainly the highlight of my career.

— Leslie Cockburn, Director

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• american
• casino
• documentary
• film
• trailer
• leslie
• andrew
• cockburn
• Moby
• Sprinsteen
• Herbie
• Hancock
• subprime
• meltdown
• goldman
• sachs
• stearns
• financial
• crisis
• explained
• bailout
• Pittman
• Bloomberg

[Lindagratitude]

I put my real estate license on hold because I saw the current trend coming. The irresponsible lending, and the way home buyers trust one single stranger --a lender-with years worth of their future earning power.

I always urged clients get three lenders' bids before choosing a loan. ADVICE RARELY TAKEN. Not Just Targeting Minorities. Anyone who could fog a mirror and sign a loan doc. Too much belief in television life. Too much belief that the government protects you. Protect yourself.

[chibijax]

Good to see someone showing the truth in all of this. Can't wait to see the real deal.

[90038jhon]

in 2007, I made $30.000. which in California is just at the recognized poverty line. No kids, single. I was receiving 10-12 offers for mortgages per week in the mail. Common sense told me I could not affort a half million dollar mortgage. Now, these companies are evil, but where was the responsibility on the part of the consumer ? Funny thing, three years later, everyone else has ruined credit, and now they're sending me offers again. amazing.

[iteslabot]

@sharmaumd we did too; u at stanford?

[botswanky]

Switched-on stockbrokers saw this coming 10yrs ago... Goes to show how scum filled our financial institutions are, & how fragile this worlds economy is.

[lifeseeker51]

It's a combination of things. Greed, avarice. We've been raised to believe we have a right to all things. Were the people deceived? Yes,but they were betrayed more by their covetousness than by the banks. Deep down,we all know when we've made a deal with the devil. There's a penalty for that.

[sharmaumd]

We saw this in our law school class. Loved it! Particularly liked the banker interviews. Must see for everyone!

[LeseMajeste]

C'mon back, suckers, Wall Street is open and ready to steal what little money you have left.

Don't wait to get raped when one of our "Too Big to Fail" banks can bend you over that stump NOW.

[platypusrex256]

irresponsible lenders alone would be no problem. also see a government eager to bailout said lenders.

[platypusrex256]

truth