Initially, The Penny Black doesn’t come off as a documentary, but more like a noir crime thriller. With all the mysteries with the twists and turns unfold, a viewer wouldn’t belive this tale out to be a true story. It all unfolded for the documentary subject Will Cassayd-Smith with director Joe Saunders capturing all the events on camera.

Here’s the synopsis:

The Penny Black is a non-fiction investigative thriller that begins when Will, the estranged son of a conman, agrees to safeguard a mysterious million-dollar stamp collection for his unknowable Russian neighbor. After the neighbor vanishes without a trace, Will searches for the collection’s true owner, confronting his fear and integrity head-on. But when some of the stamps suddenly disappear, the filmmakers are forced to reexamine Will’s capacity for honesty.

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LRM Online’s Gig Patta discussed this unbelievable true story with the subject Will Cassayd-Smith and director Joe Saunders. We talked about the stamp collection, the mysterious Russian, the missing album, hiring a private eye, not stealing the stamps for himself, and footages not seen in the documentary.

Joe Saunders began his filmmaking with NFL Films by producing and directing sport documentaries that aired on HBO, FOX, ABC, CBS, ESPN, NFL Network, and the BBC. He won an EMMY Award for outstanding long feature with his documentary Big Charlie’s. His other documentary credits include Billy Mize and the Bakersfield Sound and Couch Snoop. Saunders received his MFA from Columbia University.

The film was on the film festival circuit, including Slamdance Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival, St Louis International Film Festival, and Film Independent Screening Series.

The Penny Black is available on all digital platforms today.

Watch the exclusive interview with Joe Saunders and Will Cassayd-Smith below. Let us know what you think.

Source: LRM Online Exclusive, Circus Road Films, 1091