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‘Abacus: Small Enough to Jail’ documentary to open Aug. 18

August 17, 2017

The Rehoboth Beach Film Society's Cinema Art Theater will present "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail," a documentary about the nation's 2,651st largest bank, the only one to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

Screening times are 7 p.m., Friday, Aug. 18; 4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 19; 4 p.m., Monday, Aug. 21; 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 22; 4 p.m., and Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 23 and 24. Tickets can be purchased at the Cinema Art Theater starting 30 minutes prior to each screening. Admission for a screening is $8 for film society members and $10 for nonmembers. All screenings are held at the Cinema Art Theater, 17701 Dartmouth Drive in Dartmouth Plaza, behind the Lewes Wawa.

Documentarian Steve James chronicles the case against Abacus Federal Savings, which for decades served the marginalized immigrants of New York's Chinatown. Its founder Thomas Sung, a first-generation immigrant himself, was inspired by the character of George Bailey in "It's a Wonderful Life," to open a bank to serve his community.

When the criminal activities of one of the bank's loan officers are discovered and self-reported to regulators, the entire organization is indicted by New York's District Attorney's Office. Adamant that they are nothing more than scapegoats for the larger sins of the financial industry, Thomas, his wife Hwei Lin, and their three daughters prepare to fight back to save their freedom.

For more information, go to www.rehobothfilm.com or call 302-645-9095.

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