The Swindler

NEW DOCS

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 the 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

Directors

Åsa Blanck, Johan Palmgren

Producer

Åsa Blanck

Editor

Petter Brundell

Cinematographer

Johan Palmgren

Release Year

2008

Festival Year

2009

Country

Sweden

Run Time

84 minutes

Premiere

North American Premiere