The so-called shortsellers live off the mistakes of others. They win when others lose. A shortseller benefits from the fact that many investors are guided by the delusion of the day. The events at three famous companies popular among investors, the Flemish Lernout & Hauspie, the German Wirecard and the American Gamestop, show the forces the shortseller encounters when going against the emotions of the masses.

In this six-part documentary series, Marije Meerman takes you to Planet Finance. Who live and work there? What language do they speak? What is the use of this planet, and what makes this financial world so attractive to so many people?

Written & directed by Marije Meerman

Research: Sasha Ourikh Marijntje Denters, Maarten Mosselman, Piet Ruig, Pieter Wibaut, Betsy van Drie
Cinematography: Anna Howard acs, Brad Harris, Velinda Warwell acs, Stef Tijdink, Christiaan Paulusse
Sound: Philip Myers, Alex Booy, Mark Witte, Fokke van Saane
Editor: Michiel Hazebroek
Field director Australia: Kathryn Millis acs
Archival research: Barbara Kist, Paula Witkamp
Visual & data design: Femke Herregraven
Motion design: Mark Visser, Jeroen Schellekens
Music: BJ Nilsen
Sound design: Tim van Peppen
Voice-over: Alice O’Connell
Colourist: Rachel Stone
Finishing: Jan Jaap Kuiper
Datahandlng: Watse Eisma
Online editor colour grading: Yannick Elferink
Producer colour grading: Marja Paeper, Remco Smit
Interns: Athena Potamianos, Julia Baud, Margeaux Abeyta, Malou Sandig
Production assistant Pieter Wibaut
Line producer: Olivier Schuringa
Line producer: ZDF/ARTE Katharina Krohmann
Executive producer: Zoë de Wilde, Julia van Schieveen
Coach tot the director: Maaik Krijgsman
Commissioning editor: ZDF/ARTE Türkān Schirmer, Frederic Ulferts
Head editorial department: ZDF/ARTE Martin Pieper
Commissioning editor VPRO: Barbara Truyen

Thanks to Lucas Hempton, Thomas Spence, Jürgen Crombez, Julian Winkler, Paul Breyne, Esther Kokkelmans, Peter van Dam, Anton Schultz, Moritz Enninger, Jarah Keenan, SAS Waratah Tasmania, Tod Marshall, Scott Mc Laughlin, Adam Bloom, Leigh Walters, Rowing Australia, Jarrah Keenan, Roderik Boyd, Joshua Mitts, Fahmi Quadir, Carson Block, David Kleijwegt, Daan Wierda, Mariska Schneider, Sharon Yosef, Vian Paashuis, Koos van de Merbel, Brigit Dopheide, Petra Vermeulen, Maasja Ooms, Rik Meier, Marleen Stikker, Floris-Jan van Luyn

Archive: VRT-beeldarchief, @dylanlockemp3 (YouTube), Woestijnvis, ZDF Wirecard, Pond5, AFP, Reddit / Dotton Creative, CNN, @ILikesTheMusic (YouTube)
Presale: VRT

Planet Finance is produced by VPRO in co-production with ZDF and in collaboration with ARTE
This series was created with the support of NPO-fonds & CoBo
© VPRO & ZDF 2023

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