JUST 497: Senior Seminar and Internship Experience

International Film Critique: The Whistleblower

• Due: April 1
• Reaction Paper: 10 Points
• Presentation: 5 Points

Your first written assignment was to critique a newspaper article dealing with misconduct and/or corruption at a local level within the United States.  The capstone essay asks you to consider a social injustice and its consequences that occur on a national level.  The International film assignment asks you to consider issues of international law and justice.          

The Whistleblower based on a true story depicts the horrors of human trafficking and human rights violations across international borders.

Please choose Assignment A or B.

Assignment A

Write a 3-4 page Reaction Paper to the above film.  Summarize the producer’s main message in no more than a half page.   The remainder of the paper should reflect your opinion of the content of the film based on your knowledge of international law.  Make specific references to scenes in the film that correlate with information you have gained in previous or current coursework.   Cite all sources in-text according to the Hacker & Sommers APA Manual of Style.

Cautionary Notes

• Do not summarize the video.
• Cite specific information from the film using the required APA Manual of style.
• Use 12 font, double spacing and 1 inch margins.

Students who need a special accommodation and cannot find a copy of a closed caption video, must meet with their instructor to design an alternative assignment. 

Assignment B

The Whistleblower implicates the United Nations, the U.S. State Department, and private contractors in post war Bosnia in an organized human trafficking scheme.  Kathryn Bolkovac discovers a lucrative, far-reaching operation involving the local police and United Nations peacekeepers, many of them protected by diplomatic immunity. This film is based on a true story and reflects the international concern with corruption and human trafficking.

Cast

• Kathryn Bolkovac: Nebraska police officer who accepts an offer to work with the U.N. International Police in Bosnia run by a private company in the U.K., Democra Security
• Madeleine Rees: Head of the United Nations Human Rights Commission
• Nick Kaufman: Kathryn’s Field Commander
• Peter Ward: Internal Affairs Specialist
• Luba, Raya and Irka: teenagers sold to the sex trafficking ring
• Fred Murray: Democra Security Officer
• John Blakely: Head of Human Resources

Based on the movie, address the following questions. Answers should be in a Question and Answer format and not essay style.

1. Discuss the suffering and oppression witnessed by (not experienced by) the main character. Cite specific scenes from the movie to support your discussion.
2. In what specific ways does Kathryn advocate for the victims she encounters?  Cite scenes from the movie to support your answer.
3. Discuss how both local citizens and higher ranking officials contribute to organized corruption in post-war Bosnia. 
4. What factors motivated those in power to allow the injustices of trafficking to continue?
5. What was your general reaction to this film?

The above questions were adopted in whole or part from the author, Jane Daren (undated), Education for Justice at www.educationforjustice.org

Cautionary Notes

• Do not summarize the video.
• Cite specific information from the video using the required APA Manual of style.
• Refer to characters in the film by their specific names.
• Use 12 font, double spacing and 1 inch margins.
• Each answer should be approximately one- half to one page in length.

Students who need a special accommodation and cannot find a copy of a closed caption video, must meet with their instructor to design an alternative assignment.