TIFF 2010 Buyer’s Club: #5. Larysa Kondracki’s The Whistleblower

#5. The Whistleblower

The Gist: Based on a true story which chronicles the trials of Kathryn Bolkovac (Weisz), who is a Nebraska cop who is thrust into the gravelly snake pit of UN regulated Bosnia. She works as part of a private corporate army, training Bosnian police to restore order to the war-torn country. As she begins to get the lay of the land in her new environment, she starts to see signs of a terrible underground industry whose patrons are not only from within the corporation but from within the United Nations as well.

Director: Larysa Kondracki — Sales Agent: UTA

Selling Point: Before Angelina Jolie makes it fashionable, I see a major studio swopping up and taking the rights on this political thriller: definitely working in its favor, it has an Oscar-winning lead in Rachel Weisz and strong supporting cast in Vanessa Redgrave, David Strathairn and Monica Bellucci. Thriller elements in true story backdrop could also help film’s cineplex cred. 

Suited For: Major studio or larger than medium sized indie distributor.