The Whistleblower
Short description
The Whistleblower follows Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska police officer who travels to post-war Bosnia in 1999 as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission. Assigned to support local law enforcement, she encounters young women caught up in prostitution and becomes troubled when some of them disappear after being taken into custody. Her inquiries reveal a trafficking network that reaches beyond local criminals, involving officials and international personnel, and she finds herself obstructed and exposed to danger as she keeps digging.
The film is directed by Larysa Kondracki, who wrote the screenplay with Eilis Kirwan. It was Kondracki's first feature and draws on the real Kathryn Bolkovac's account of her time in Bosnia. Rachel Weisz plays Bolkovac, heading a cast that includes Vanessa Redgrave, Monica Bellucci, David Strathairn, Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Benedict Cumberbatch.
Released in 2010 and running 112 minutes, the film is a crime drama and thriller produced through companies in Germany and Canada. Its worldwide box office take was about 2 million USD. On IMDb it holds 7.1/10 from around 37,000 votes, while on TMDB it has 6.7/10 from 632 votes. A critics' rating of 6.4/10 from 117 reviews places it slightly below the IMDb audience score and above the smaller TMDB sample.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film is set in post-war Bosnia, but filming took place in other locations. Moreover, none of the actors playing Bosnians knew the language. They all spoke Romanian.
- The rape scene involving the fictional character Raya had to be made less explicit and violent, as one audience member felt unwell during a preview screening in Toronto.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
