The Whistleblower

Kathryn Bolkovac was a Nebraska police officer trying to cope with losing custody of her children following a marital breakup. When someone offers her a good paying opportunity to join the UN peacekeeping force in post-war Bosnia she agrees and goes to work for Democra a private contractor responsible for monitoring local police activity in the war torn region.

During a routine observation of a police raid at a bar she happens upon the dark, shadowy world of human trafficking and forced prostitution of young women worse still the clientele of the bar includes Democra employees.

Undeterred by bureaucratic indifference and evasiveness Bolkovac tries to get a pair of Russian girls to testify to the official corruption that permits their captors to remain in business. When her efforts are sabotaged she begins to doubt her colleagues and to suspect her superiors of a cover-up. Gradually she is compelled to choose between her career and her conscience.

Rachel Weisz gives another fine performance as Bolkovac whose book The Whistleblower details her experiences in Bosnia and is the basis for this thrilling and disturbing film. Vanessa Redgrave is a sympathetic UN official who sees in Bolkovac someone who isn't afraid to challenge the system and David Strathairn is a friend of Redgrave's who volunteers to assist Bolkovac. Roxana Condurache gives a strong performance as Raya a Russian girl who is transported to Bosnia after being sold into white slavery by relatives.

With nice, taut direction by Larysa Kondracki The Whistleblower is a courageous film that serves as a painful reminder that not every member of a humanitarian/peacekeeping mission is there to help people.