Seeing the Occupy protest and reading a book about similar subject has opened filmmaker Daniel Edelstyn’s eyes about the plight of the 99% and the situation created by the secondary debt market. Researching his subject, he decides to do something about it and starts a grass root movement to help erase debt for his fellow Brits.
Directed by Daniel Edelstyn and Hilary Powell, Bank Job is the kind of documentary that comes from the heart. It’s a film made by people who saw an issue and wanted to help, wanted to make a difference. So, is it a one-sided documentary? Absolutely. Does it matter here? Absolutely not. There is information in here that is basic and true, numbers and facts that aren’t manipulated, they just are. The number of people in debt around the world, how debt works in the current economy, something so few seem to understand. On this explanation of how debt works in the world and how it’s traded like a commodity, this film makes very important points and becomes a documentary that should be seen. On what comes after, even more so as it puts hope on something that comes off hopeless from the start.
The way the filmmakers not only set out to make this documentary, but also set out to make a difference is what makes this a worthy, biased film. In some cases, this is okay. Here’s it’s fine. The film has its heart in the right place and never claims to be more than an eye opener for those who may not understand how hard debt can hit people. It’s also an educational film in understanding debt and second market debt. To learn more about the economy, viewers could pair this film with Boom Bust Boom which explains the economy even more and in ways that are easy to understand for any viewer.
Bank Job is an important, human documentary that involves emotions, frustrations, and good information that many won’t know before getting in. Some will some of this and others most of it, but to see it put quite clearly and with honest human reactions to the situations is something that anyone could use seeing. The good that was done during the filming of this documentary is something that is worth watching. A follow up would be fantastic to see where this went for the filmmakers and to see if they have kept up their work as well as where the money went.