Taking its name from a term coined by r/WallStreetBets Reddit users, Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets explores the jaw-dropping moment in 2021 when GameStop shares rose 1700% allowing average working class individuals to benefit from a system that continually excludes them.

Like Amanda Spain, diamond handsThe executive producer, MSNBC’s vice president of long-running acquisitions and a Texas native, described the documentary (which debuted at South by Southwest 2022) to investors it wasn’t just about making money money with actions, but rather to fight a system they weren’t included in and change it for the better.

Monitoring the situation before it erupted, NBC producer Erica Fink was following the reddit community and so, having had its eye on the ball from the start, NBC News Studios developed the film alongside directors Zackary Canepari and Drea Cooper by contacting various subjects seen in the film as the story unfolded. Describing how stimulus checks, rising unemployment, and the creation of an app called Robin Hood made it easy and accessible for people to invest in the stock market for the first time. diamond hands to his soul is a COVID story. Filled with memes and niche Reddit humor, Cooper and Canepari set out to encapsulate the feel of the internet communities where this story took place, as seen through the various memes and gifs present throughout the film.

Since the story takes place in the depths of a reddit community, Spain said there was a decision to be which side of those communities they wanted to be on. diamond hands to focus on. Spain explained: “There is a reason why there are four documentaries about it, because there is so much to say about it. We all decided that we didn’t want to spread some of this (negative) stuff and hurt people.

Although there are other films coming out on this subject, Spain said what defines diamond hands other than their focus on their subjects, like Jeff Amazon “who wrote the manifesto that created this moment,” she said. “We have a very good insight into our film that not everyone has had access to. … What we love about the film is the story of these young people who are really fighting against a system that, according to them, doesn’t work for them.”

While the film doesn’t exactly mirror MSNBCS’s news and politics coverage, Spain described the film as encapsulating what they’re trying to do on the network by diving much deeper into the stories. By focusing less on what happened and more on what these young people felt, Spain said this documentary allows the network to take a step forward in the stories behind the stories they produce. She added that it’s really important to put a human face on these stories and give a deeper understanding of our own humanity. “I think the story at the end of the day was a moment where they were able to express themselves in a really radical way and take on something that they never thought they could,” Spain said. “In a way, it will never end. There will always be a generation that tries to fight the system. This is just one example among many. »

Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets airs on MSNBC on Sunday, April 10 at 9 p.m. Central. The film is set to air the following day on Peacock. Read our review of the SXSW movie here.