Jeffrey Brown:

A number of banks, including some of the biggest in the country, paid large fines, but just one bank was indicted for mortgage fraud related to the crisis. And it was a very small one, Abacus Federal Savings and Loan, located in New York's Chinatown.

The story of its prosecution and ultimate acquittal is told in the documentary, "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail," which had a theatrical run and also aired on PBS' "Frontline."

It's now been nominated for an Oscar for best documentary.

Filmmaker Steve James joins me now. Among his previous work, the films "Hoop Dreams" and "The Interrupters."

And, first, Steve, congratulations on the Oscar nomination.

What attracted you to this story in the first place?