Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

The feature-length documentary follows the prosecution of a small New York neighbourhood bank which serves the local Chinese community. Abacus alerted the authorities to the fraudulent behaviour of an employee but then found itself subject to the first US federal bank prosecution since 1991.

This captivating documentary from the director of Hoop Dreams suggests the bank was targeted because it was small enough to prosecute, compared to those responsible for the sub-prime mortgage collapse in 2007-08.

Director Steve James will find out on March 5, NZ time, if his film has won the Academy Award.