Creditors, your days are numbered. Charles Ferguson (Oscar nominated war-doc “No End in Sight”)’s latest film “Inside Job” will be released later this year via Sony Picture Classics. The film, which focuses on the financial crisis, will play out-of-competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Here is a synopsis:
Narrated by Academy Award®- winner Matt Damon, INSIDE JOB is the first film to provide a comprehensive analysis of the global financial crisis of 2008, which at a cost over $20 trillion, caused millions of people to lose their jobs and homes in the worst recession since the Great Depression, and nearly resulted in a global financial collapse. Through exhaustive research and extensive interviews with key financial insiders, politicians, journalists, and academics, the film traces the rise of a rogue industry which has corrupted politics, regulation, and academia. It was made on location in the United States, Iceland, England, France, Singapore, and China.
Originally a political scientist and founder of internet software company Vermeer Technologies, Ferguson was moved to make a documentary about the Iraq War in 2005 when he discovered that no such film was being made or planned. With plenty of funds from his sale of Vermeer to Microsoft, he started “Representational Pictures” and began his film, which not only was nominated for an Oscar but won the jury prize in Sundance 2007.
With his political background and one great film under his belt, Ferguson is a perfect choice to tackle the financial crisis that hit us on September 16th, 2008, when the stock market crashed and burned. The film world has been relatively quiet on this case, with some exceptions, including the good but perpetrator-absent “Capitalism: A Love Story” and Chris Smith’s alarmist/conspiracy theory doc “Collapse.” With Michael Moore becoming too much of an icon (most of his docs have scenes with important people, people that should be interviewed, avoiding him), Ferguson’s lesser-known profile and body of work could prove to be very beneficial.
The film, narrated by Matt Damon, does not have a theatrical release date yet, but take note that Sony Picture Classics will probably release this one around Oscar season, as previous anticipated political docs “The Fog of War” and “Waltz with Bashir” were both released theatrically in December. This film will presumably be ushered into theaters similarly, so expect a winter release.
