FILMS+EVENTS
The Swindler
New Docs

Running Time:
84 minutes
Screening Info:
Saturday, April 4
7:30PM
Cinema Three
Director(s):
Åsa Blanck, Johan Palmgren
Producer(s):
sa Blanck
Editor(s):
Petter Brundell
Cinematographer(s):
Johan Palmgren
Release Year:
2008
Country:
Sweden

North American Premiere

When Father Mac came ashore in Malmö, Sweden, the locals took him at his word: he was a Catholic archbishop who managed the Vatican’s portfolio in art and antiques.  This pleasant priest quickly made friends and, giving life to dreams they didn’t even know they had, cleverly convinced a small army to invest their money with him. As with any Ponzi scheme, investments grew exponentially —that is, until the good priest left town with the funds.  The film follows in footsteps of this international conman, taking us on a journey across borders and back in time—through Sweden, to Israel, and Hungary—in an entertaining yet cautionary tale about dreams, greed, and the pursuit of happiness, ever more relevant in the age of Madoff.  SB