Building on the success of their Vancouver Screening Series, the First Weekend Club bring the series to Toronto. The premise is to gather film lovers together and celebrate great Canadian films. Audiences are treated to a unique movie going experience that includes live entertainment by top Canadian musicians during a pre-screening wine reception, and Talkback discussions with filmmakers and stars. For their inaugural event in Toronto, they’ll be presenting the award winning film The Whistleblower (dir. Larysa Kondracki).
The Whistleblower is inspired by actual events. The film follows Kathy Bolkovac (Rachel Weisz), a Nebraskan police officer who takes a job working for the United Nations as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia. Her expectations of helping to rebuild a devastated country are dashed when she unveils a different reality: corruption and cover-up amidst a world of UN contingents, private contractors, and diplomatic doubletalk.
Personally I have always been fascinated by incidences of whistleblowing. For instance, did you know that if you report certain types of wrongdoing that you have seen at work then you are protected by law? Although it shouldn’t be happening anymore because not only do many jobs carry out health checks like employee respiratory screening tests, but also background checks, especially for jobs involving the vulnerable. Consequently, you should not be treated unfairly or lose your job because you decide to divulge this information. You can find more information about the law surrounding whistleblowing here. Let us know your thoughts about this film or whistleblowing more generally in the comments below.
Date: Thursday, August 9th, 2012
Location: Deluxe, 424 Adelaide St E, Toronto
7pm: Pre-screening reception featuring Joseph’s Estate Wines (cash bar) and Entertainment by The Weather Station
8pm: Film screening followed by Q&A with director, Larysa Kondracki via Skype and producer, Christina Piovesan in person.
Cost: $12 in advance through PayPal – $14 at door. Advance tickets sold online through PayPal. Check here for more info.
