Who doesn’t love a heist movie? It’s great escapist fare. You get clever jewel thieves, bold bank robbers, elegant and suave con artists. But when you take that adventure out of the world of fantasy and into the real-life boardrooms, corporate offices and Washington hideaways, and the loot isn’t sparkling diamonds and gold bars but the homes, savings and jobs of regular working stiffs, you get “Heist: Who Stole the American Dream?

Now streaming live—and free—here, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Labor Day, “Heist” traces how American corporations orchestrated the dismantling of middle-class prosperity through rampant deregulation, the outsourcing of jobs and tax policies favoring businesses and the wealthy. (If you don't have time for the whole movie now, watch the preview below. You'll want to see the entire film. )

The collapse of the U.S. economy, say filmmakers Frances Causey and Donald Goldmacher, is the result of conscious choices made over 35 years by a small group— leaders of corporations and their elected allies, and the biggest lobbying interest in Washington, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

To these individuals, the collapse is not a catastrophe, but rather the planned outcome of their long, patient work.

But while “Heist” tracks the fall of the economy and names the masterminds behind the theft of the American Dream, the film also offers a formula to restore democracy and economic fairness.

Causey and Goldmacher say a fair economy requires that those responsible for the crisis be held accountable; rigorous reforms must be enacted into law; too big to fail corporations must be dismantled; progressive taxation must be restored; and a fair, sustainable local model of economic resilience must be accelerated.

Communications Workers of America (CWA) President Larry Cohen, who has seen the film, says:

‘Heist’ is outstanding, even gripping, as the film documents our slide toward a wealth-based nation, robbing working-class families of our power, our voice, our dignity and our dreams. Watch it, treasure it, pass it on to every activist you know. It helps us feel the power of organizing when we stand up and Fight Back!

Watch the preview above and click here to see the entire film. “Heist” will stream free through Sept. 6.