Martin Schilt: After Adoboli's deportation, the film was on the brink of collapse

Martin Schilt, how did the idea for the film about ex-UBS trader Kweku Adoboli, which you made together with Bernard Weber, come about?

Schilt: When I first heard about the case, I immediately thought it was an incredibly exciting story. How does a person come to take responsibility in the world of financial services, where this never happens?

Was there a key moment that convinced you that the story was film-worthy?

Schilt: Yes, there was when we met Kweku in person for the first time in 2015 at one of the first trials for his deportation. We were overwhelmed by how many people supported him. They weren't people who were critical of capitalism or the system. His friends have made careers for themselves and hold management positions at large corporations.

How did you gain Adoboli's trust?

Schilt: We made it clear to him that we were not interested in the case itself, which had already been widely covered by the media. We were interested in the motives and we were interested in the system. The story that UBS and the media have told so far had its narrative. We wanted to add a different perspective with the film.

Did you manage to do that?

Schilt: That will be decided in the next few weeks or months. I think the film gives a new perspective on this case. We wanted to present a different narrative for debate.

What sources did you use?

Schilt: Firstly, the book "Verzockt" from 2013 by Sebastian Borger, who accompanied the trial as a court reporter in London. Thanks to Kweku, we had access to the court files. The results of the investigations by the British supervisory authority or the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority Finma are public, there is endless media coverage of the case. We spoke to many financial experts. We wanted to understand the complexity to such an extent that we could explain it to the regulars in a reasonably understandable way.

How long did you work on the film?

Schilt: 14 years.

That's a very long time.

Schilt: The idea was born in 2011 and we started filming in 2015, when Kweku came out of prison. He was suddenly the compliance star and gave lectures at banks, insurance companies and universities. But then the story took an incredible turn with Kweku's deportation to Ghana. When he was deported, we lost contact for almost a year. We no longer believed that the movie would still exist. Then we visited Kweku in Ghana.

Was Adoboli happy with the movie?

Schilt: For him, the main priority from the start was that he could tell his own story. But now that the film is finished, he is very afraid that the familiar narrative will be rehashed and that he will have to relive all the hostility. We would have loved to have him at the premiere at the Solothurn Film Festival - but for now he wants to wait and see how the film is received.

You didn't confront or involve UBS. Why?

Schilt: We deliberately didn't make the film investigative or confrontational. We don't present any new facts about the case, just a different perspective. That's why there was no reason for us to involve UBS. However, we would have liked to know what UBS learned from the Adoboli case. However, the bank did not want to comment on this.

*This interview by Young-Sim Song (AWP) was realized with the help of the Gottlieb and Hans Vogt Foundation.

About the film and its makers

The film tells the story of former UBS investment banker Kweku Adoboli: after a trading loss of 2.3 billion US dollars, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for fraud in 2012. From 2008 until his arrest in September 2011, Adoboli allegedly circumvented the trading limits at Switzerland's largest bank with unauthorized speculation and fictitious transactions at the ETF desk in London.

Martin Schilt is an independent documentary film producer and director. He has produced several cinema documentaries, including "Die Wiesenberger - No Business Like Show Business" together with Bernard Weber. In 2008, he founded the Zurich-based production company Lucky Film together with Belinda Sallin.

Bernard Weber has been working as an independent filmmaker since 1991 and has realized the award-winning film "The Sound of the Voice", among others. He also produces documentaries with his production company Artisan Films.