The term whistleblower derives from the practice of British bobbies (foot patrolman), who would blow a whistle when they came upon a crime in progress, to alert other policemen and the general public to the crime or wrongdoing. In contemporary societies histleblowers are people in organisations, public and private institutions and communities who expose wrongdoings by groups or individuals. Whistle blowing is tacitly encouraged as a civic duty to expose corruption and those who pro? t from nepotistic and fraudulent activities. But in many instances it is the whistleblowers themselves who suffer the “shoot the messenger” mentality that is widespread in society. Some whistleblowers have been accused of misconduct and even subjected to criminal prosecution for reporting the wrongdoings of others.The films featured in this session raise the question of how fragile democracy is and reveal the personal consequences, risks and responsibilities that filmmakers and their subjects face when telling stories of this nature. At what point do the filmmakers decide the story is one they have to tell regardless of the consequences?
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From UPF
The Operational Command Unit was a special group of law enforcement personnel put in place by the President of the Republic of Cameroon, created to tackle rampant… -
From UPF
The story of Lydia Cacho, a courageous journalist and feminist who exposes powerful businessmen and politicians involved in a child pornography ring operating in Canc!n,… -
From UPF
The Japanese Maif? a, also known as the Yakuza, is adapting to the times and coming up with new and inventive ways of making money. Money that was illegally earned…