Part zippy economics lesson and part unblinking family exposé, Justin Schein’s entertaining and poignant essay asks an uncomfortable question: Is building generational wealth—what many would call the essence of the American dream—morally defensible? At the epicenter of Schein’s inquiry is Justin’s complicated relationship with his powerhouse of a father. Harvey Schein was the ultimate postwar American Jewish success story, a self-made record executive who provided spectacularly for his kids and became obsessed in later life with protecting the family assets from dreaded estate taxes. Now a parent himself, Justin dares to bite the hand that feeds by questioning the self-perpetuating inequality of the American system of estate taxes (or, depending on your politics, “death taxes”). The film assembles terrific experts from all sides—from Robert Reich and Paul Krugman on the left to David Stockman and Grover Norquist on the right—to weigh in, but its real strength is in the nuanced chronicle of father and son playing out over decades, as each comes to grips, differently, with the fact that you can’t take it with you. —Peter Stein
Justin Schein (he/him) is a documentary filmmaker and cinematographer with three decades of experience exploring social issues through film. His award-winning work includes Left on Purpose and No Impact Man, which have screened internationally. As a cinematographer, he has shot over 60 films, including the Oscar®-nominated Crip Camp. He co-founded Shadowbox Films in 1998.
Co-sponsored by Craig Harrison
This film is available with closed captions.