DEATH OF A WHISTLEBLOWER

FEATURE FILM

IAN GABRIEL

The nights were dark and stormy for many of the days on the five-week call sheet of “Death of a Whistleblower” but although South African director Ian Gabrielpersonally detests night shoots, he pushed through since his latest conspiracy thriller about cover-ups and a journalist’s dogged pursuit of the truth simply wouldn’t have felt the same shot in sunshine.

“There’s always been a struggle for the truth in South Africa — in the past, and now,” says Gabriel, who also came up with the story.

His taut topical political thriller, produced by Tshepiso Chikapa Phiri for Known Associates Entertainment, will have its African premiere on Feb. 28 at the Joburg Film Festival with a same-day release on Amazon’s Prime Video. Pic premiered at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival last fall.