The Spider’s Web Britain’s Second Empire

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ABOUT THE FILM

Film Synopsis

The Spider’s Web: Britain’s Second Empire, is a documentary film by Michael Oswald that shows how Britain transformed from a colonial power into a global financial power. At the demise of empire, City of London financial interests created a web of offshore secrecy jurisdictions that captured wealth from across the globe and hid it behind obscure financial structures in a web of offshore islands. Today, up to half of global offshore wealth may be hidden in British offshore jurisdictions and Britain and its offshore jurisdictions are the largest global players in the world of international finance. How did this come about, and what impact does it have on the world today? This is what the Spider’s Web sets out to investigate.
With contributions from leading experts, academics, former insiders and campaigners for social justice, the use of stylized b-roll and archive footage, the Spider’s Web reveals how in the world of international finance, corruption and secrecy have prevailed over regulation and transparency, and the UK is right at the heart of this.
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Press & Reviews

PRESS & AWARDS

PARTICIPANTS

John Christensen

INVESTIGATIVE ECONOMIST AND ACTIVIST

John Christensen is the co-founder and executive director of the Tax Justice Network. His investigations into the role of tax havens in the globalised economy started in 1978, and have included fourteen years working on the tax haven of Jersey. He is a vocal critic of tax havens and is today described as Jersey’s most prominent dissident.

Nicholas Shaxson

AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST

Nicholas Shaxson is the author of the acclaimed book Treasure Islands, an extensive éxpose on the global consequences of tax havens. He has written for The Financial Times, Reuters, Vanity Fair, the Economist and the BBC, as well as many other publications.

Eva Joly

MEP EUROPE ÉCOLOGIE

MEP, Europe Écologie. Eva Joly is a French anti-corruption activist, magistrate and MEP for the Europe Écologie political party. She is the Vice-Chair of the Panama Committee of Inquiry. She has been an investigating magistrate in a number of high profile corruption cases, including the Elf Scandal, which the UK Guardian called ‘the biggest fraud inquiry in Europe since the Second World War…’.

Michael Hudson

ECONOMIST

Michael Hudson is a former Wall Street analyst and consultant, he is a Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri. He is one of the world’s leading economists and acts as an economic advisor to governments worldwide.

Ronen Palan

PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Ronen Palan is a professor at City University in London. He has written numerous books and articles on tax havens and the world of offshore. He is a founding editor of the Review of International Political Economy.

Peter Cain

HISTORIAN

Peter Cain is a British historian well known for his radical critiques of imperialism. He is the co-author of the book British Imperialism, a book described as “a milestone in the understanding of British history and imperialism.”

Alex Cobham

DIRECTOR - TAX JUSTICE NETWORK

Alex Cobham is the Director of the Tax Justice Network and a visiting fellow at King’s College London IDI. He is on the board of trustees of numerous charities and research bodies. He publishes extensively on illicit financial flows, taxation and inequality.

Paul Gilbert and Susan Steed

OCCUPY LONDON TOURS

Paul Gilbert and Susan Steed are guides at the Occupy Tour of the City of London. Occupy London Tours is a free tour company run by volunteers that aims to throw open the secretive world of finance and politics for all to see.

Prem Sikka

PROFESSOR OF ACCOUNTING

Prem Sikka is Professor of Accounting at the University of Essex. He is a prolific writer and a vocal critique of the abuses of the accountancy and finance professions. He is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the British Accounting and Finance Association.

Dr. Attiya Waris

UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI, SCHOOL OF LAW

Attiya Waris is a Kenyan academic whose interests include tax justice and human rights in developing countries. She is the Author of a number of books and articles on development, tax and human rights in developing countries.

Joel Benjamin

ENVIRONMENTALIST AND CAMPAIGNER

Joel Benjamin is a co-founder of Community Reinvest, as well as a campaigner for Debt Resistance UK, Move Your Money UK and People vs PFI.

Stuart Syvret

ACTIVIST

Stuart Syvret is a former Jersey Senator, whistleblower and political activist. He is an outspoken critic of the corruption taking place within the Jersey Government.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Handle @Independent_POV