Bank Job

Edelstyn, D. & Powell, H. (Directors). Edelstyn, D., et al. (Producers). (2021). Bank Job. Bullfrog Films. 91 mins. Add a definite article to the beginning of Bank Job’s title, and you get a 2008 Jason Statham-led heist thriller. Documentarian power couple Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell are fully conscious of this association; their film sees them pull off a “heist” of their own, albeit one that’s light on drama and heavy on social consciousness. From their modest home in Walthamstow, an economically precarious neighborhood of East London, they undertake an ambitious scheme: to print their own “money,” sell it as art, and raise the funds to buy and forgive £1,000,000 of household debt. In documenting this project on film, the couple aims to expose the predatory machinations of the “creditocracy” (a term coined by sociologist Andrew Ross, who appears in the documentary): a system in which creditors control access to basic goods and services, trapping large swaths of the public in perpetual indebtedness. Debt—and the hardship that goes with it—essentially funds the economy of the UK. (Not just the UK, either: Edelstyn and Powell were inspired by Strike Debt, an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street that pulled off a similar feat of mass debt forgiveness in the US.) As the pair carries out their scheme, they connect with activists, scholars, politicians, and community members who provide diverse and valuable perspectives on the nature of debt, the harm it causes, and potential remedies. To some, a documentary about debt may not sound particularly enjoyable, but Edelstyn and Powell deploy winning strategies to hook viewers, even those who lack a fascination with economics. Interspersed throughout the film are scripted, black-and-white segments that depict Edelstyn and Powell in separate “interrogation” rooms, being grilled about their “heist” by an off-screen interlocutor in the manner of a police interview. These scenes are not only entertaining but also instrumental to the documentary’s educational purpose, since the interviewer’s accusatory questioning gives the duo the opportunity to explain the finer points of both the “debt economy” and their plan. The gimmick thus serves as a clever way to inform, but not lecture, the audience. The interrogation scenes, while quirky, are deployed with restraint, so that they do not distract the viewer from the real—and serious—purpose of the documentary. In defiance of the austerity measures and neoliberal policies that have shaped 21st-century Britain, the filmmakers’ undertaking is grounded in appreciation and empathy for their debt-ridden community, and for the ordinary people of their country more broadly. Whereas British legal tender bears the likenesses of royals and prominent historical figures, Edelstyn and Powell’s “money” depicts “exemplars of the community,” including the head teacher at their children’s primary school and the founder of a soup kitchen/clothes bank/community center. By showcasing the critical services that these local pillars provide, the film justifies the couple’s plan to donate half their proceeds to these chronically underfunded organizations; it also raises the question of why essentials such as education and food are so difficult to provide and access in the first place. When the government fails to take care of the people, Bank Job argues, the people themselves must step up—both to take care of each other and to demand change. Bank Job is not an impartial account of the pros and cons of different economic models, nor does it pretend to be. Rather, it is an impassioned—and persuasive—call for the end of the creditocracy and the birth of a system structured around the things that truly matter: not the profits of companies and commercial banks, but the well-being of individuals and communities. Its tone is lighthearted and sometimes downright irreverent, but beneath this entertaining veneer, the film is sincere, principled, and infused with a warm and palpable community spirit. Equal parts entertaining and eye-opening, Bank Job is recommended for general adult audiences. Awards won include: Best Documentary Feature, Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2021