Money as Debt

Modern banking is incredibly complex and is particularly adept at one thing — producing ever-greater debt. The animated feature Money as Debt, by Canadian filmmaker Paul Grignon, sets out to demystify modern banking and its monetary practices. In Grignon’s view, money, inextricably tied to debt in modern times, is akin to a new form of slavery. Although every consumer is affected by the monetary systems of modern banking, few of us understand the intricacies involved. This documentary succeeds in rendering complex financial practices into easy-to-understand segments.

Despite featuring basic animation, Money as Debt effectively breaks down the relationships between household, corporate and governmental debt, specifically how debt has become entrenched in modern banking and how it threatens to spiral into an ever-worsening cycle of expansion. Balancing this dark vision of modern banking are several alternatives proposed in the documentary, such as nationalising banks and establishing dividend payments for the general public.