THU, JUN 26 / 9 pm
FRI, JUN 27 / 7 pm
SAT, JUN 28 / 9 pm
SUN, JUN 29 / 7 pm
Directed by Matthew Pond and Kirk Marcolina
2013, USA, 73 min
How does a poor, single, African-American mother from segregated 1950s America wind up as one of the world’s most notorious jewel thieves? Just ask her. A glamorous 81-year-old, Doris Payne is as unapologetic today about the nearly $2 million in jewels she’s stolen over a 60-year career as she was the day she stole her first carat. With Payne now on trial for the theft of a department store diamond ring, filmmakers Marcolina and Pond probe beneath her consummate smile to uncover the secrets of her trade and what drove her to a life of crime. Stylish recreations, an extensive archive and candid interviews reveal how Payne managed to jet-set her way into any Cartier or Tiffany’s from Monte Carlo to Japan and walk out with small fortunes. This sensational portrait exposes a rebel who defies society’s prejudices and pinches her own version of the American Dream while she steals your heart.
— MYROCIA WATAMANIUK, HOT DOCS
