The Open Outcry

Open Outcry is a fascinating look at the high-speed, high-power trading floor of Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Director Jon Else explores a hectic, noisy, seemingly chaotic workplace with his signature style and eschewing narration in favor of real-time shots that bring the viewer right into the action of the trading floor.

The show paints a compelling picture of sudden wealth, sudden disaster, and grace under pressure as traders exchange billions of dollars in futures and options contracts. It is also a portrait of an endangered environment, as digital revolution has eliminated the open outcry system at many of the world's financial exchanges.

This film portrays understandably nervous young clerks learning the open outcry trading system, with its seemingly senseless language and hand signals, hoping to one day make a fortune. The film captures this roller coaster rocketing through billions a day that makes the Merc one of the most fascinating spots on the global financial map.