Goldman Sachs (GS) is releasing a documentary film series on Amazon (AMZN) Prime on Monday, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the investment banking giant.
"Goldman Sachs at 150" is a 10-part film series covering the firm's 150-year history in 150 minutes. Yahoo Finance obtained a copy of the trailer ahead of next week’s debut.
"What is it about this organization, about its culture, about its history, about its people, that's allowed it to be nimble, adapt, adjust, move forward, pick itself up when it's been knocked down, and really get stronger for it, every step of the way?" CEO David Solomon is seen asking during the teaser’s opening.
The film tells the story of the founding of Goldman Sachs, a rags-to-riches story of an immigrant outsider, Marcus Goldman, who managed to make his way in the world to the highest ranks of American capitalism.
For the project, Goldman Sachs hired noted historical documentary filmmaker Ric Burns.
"It was an incredible opportunity to plunge in and see 'what's this world like?' I think it's true to say very few people really know how banking works," Burns said.
Years ago, Burns worked with Goldman on an internal film series that was shown beginning in 2012.
"Seven years later, it's our 150th anniversary, and it seemed like a natural time to update the film," said Liz Bowyer, co-head of brand and content strategy at Goldman Sachs.
"And, given the positive response internally, we thought it made sense to share the films more broadly with people who might be interested in the stories,” she added.
Exploration of ‘growth, innovation and change’
The film focuses on milestones in Goldman's history, from its 1869 founding to the 1929 stock market crash, to the 1999 IPO, and other moments.
Some of the voices retelling the firm’s history include ex-Goldman chiefs Lloyd Blankfein and Hank Paulson, and billionaire investor Warren Buffett, among others.
"Through in-depth interviews with leaders of Goldman Sachs past and present, as well as perspectives from historians and other business leaders, the films explore the firm’s century and a half of growth, innovation and change," John F. W. Rogers wrote in a firm-wide email.
"These stories highlight not only our significant achievements, but also the many lessons we have learned over the course of 150 years – and the importance of protecting and enhancing our culture as we embark upon our next chapter,” Rogers added.
To be sure, the film is not an investigation into the financial crisis, but instead a biography of the bank.
"Many people think they know Goldman Sachs and often we think of these organizations as monolithic, but like all human endeavors, they are run by people who are passionate, smart, driven, and curious,” Bowyer said.
“What struck me is the power of their stories over those 150 years and how they shaped the culture of the firm and what it is today,” she added.
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Julia La Roche is a reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.
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