***UPDATE: Due to demand, Cleveland vs Wall Street has been held over for an additional week of showings at the Capitol and Cedar Lee movie theaters. Check it out!***
It’s been a long journey to arrive at this night.
From a few sparse lines in a French newspaper to a west side movie theater filled with anticipation.
From black tie to blue jeans, Clevelanders young and old, black and white await their moment on the big screen.
Some hope to catch a glimpse of themselves. Others hope to catch a glimpse of justice.
Cleveland vs Wall Street is about more than a snowy, rust belt city versus a slick and well-oiled money machine. Cleveland vs Wall Street is the courage to speak up even when it seems no one will listen. The spirit to fight even when the opposition refuses to step in the ring. The determination to find that one tiny crack in a window when every door has been slammed shut.
Swiss director Jean-Stephane Bron first heard about Cleveland’s foreclosure crisis by reading a few lines near the end of a French newspaper article. He didn’t know much about Cleveland and wasn’t sure the story was all true, until me came here.
After meeting the people at Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People he was convinced this was a story he needed to tell.
Bron originally intended to follow the real trial of the lawsuit the City of Cleveland filed against 21 international investment banks. The suit claimed the city suffered nuisance damages as a result of the glut of vacant properties left behind from foreclosures. The city has spent millions of dollars on increased crime, maintenance and demolition costs.
When it became clear the case would not make it to trial, Bron decided to create a cinematic trial with real lawyers, real witnesses and a real jury.
The result is a candid look at Clevelanders’ struggle to get to the truth of what caused the foreclosure crisis and find some justice for heartbroken families and ravaged neighborhoods.
“The importance of this film is the revealing of the truth around the predatory lending crisis” said Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson. “The economic crisis that we’re going through now is a direct result of the greed that happened years ago, and it’s important that people learn the truth and connect the dots.”
ESOP was the first group in the Cleveland area to connect those dots back in the late ‘90’s and early 2000’s. When everyone else thought they were a fringe group, ESOP saw the beginning of a devastating trend and went after the mortgage brokers and servicers.
It’s been a long journey to arrive at this night. Now the devastation is on display for all to see on the big screen.
***UPDATE: Due to demand, Cleveland vs Wall Street has been held over for an additional week of showings at the Capitol and Cedar Lee movie theaters. Check it out!***
The ESOP Blog 