The Micro Debt
UK Premiere

Photograph by Lotte la Cour

Friday 11 March at 6.30pm
City University London
£5 full price; £4 concessions
Weekly pass £20; £15 concessions

Denmark, 2010
Duration: 57’  
Director/producer: Tom Heinemann 
Language: English 

For decades micro credit has been hailed as the best solution to eradicate poverty.

However, interest rates from 30 to 200% often makes it impossible for loan takers in Mexico, India and Bangladesh to pay back their loans.

The poor are under extreme social pressure from the other members of their groups.

And there is the added pressure from some of the loan officers when it comes to defaulting on even a single weekly payment.

The film exposes the bank for the poor - Gameen Bank, and the micro finance masterminds that include the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mr. Muhammad Yunus.

Q&A

The Micro Debt screening will be followed by a discussion with filmmaker Tom Heinemann and Alex Counts of Gameen Foundation. This controversial documentary for the first time casts a critical eye on the issue of microfinance and its benefits to the developing countries.

Further information

Tom Heinemann's website

Flip the Coin

Grameen Foundation

Yunus Centre

BBC: Court upholds sacking of Grameen founder Muhammad Yunus

The Financial Times: Bangladesh Escalates Anti-Yunis Campaign

Guardian article: Danish film offers a long-overdue reality check on microfinance

Asia Times article: Grameen's Yunus in cash scandal

The New York Times: Banks Making Big Profits From Tiny Loans

The Economist: Grameen Bank. Saint under siege

CIJ is a registered charity (number 1118602) and all proceeds from the ticket sales will go towards CIJ training events.