Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

Award-winning US documentarian Steve James tells this captivating story of the only bank indicted following America's 2008 financial meltdown.

"The Abacus Federal Savings Bank in New York's Chinatown is one of America's smallest banking institutions. Shanghai-born Thomas Sung founded it in 1984 (inspired in part by Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life) to provide his community with loans, a service routinely denied by other banks. Now 80, Thomas runs the company with the help of his three hard-working daughters. In 2010, the bank noticed irregularities in its mortgage books, and reported the matter to authorities. A lengthy legal battle ensued, driven by the New York District Attorney Office, and an eye-opening story of discrimination unfolded inside and outside of the courtroom. As the film suggests, perhaps Abacus wasn't 'too big to fail', but rather, 'small enough to jail'." (Sydney Film Festival)

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