By Benjamin Millar
A dusty African streetscape suddenly arose in the heart of Footscray last week as film crews shot scenes for the state’s largest ever Australian-Chinese co-production.
The Whistleblower is a feature-length thriller following the story of a Chinese expat who uncovers a conspiracy at the Australian mining company where he works.
It is being filmed at Docklands Studio as well as locations across the state, including Footscray, which was transformed last week into the southeast African country of Malawi.
The film is being directed by Xue Xiaolu and produced by acclaimed producer Bill Kong of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers fame.
Mr Kong, the president of Edko Films Limited, said he was honoured to be working with Perfect Village, Screen Australia and the Victorian government to bring the film to reality.
“Most of all, I am thrilled to be able to work with the most talented crews from Australia and I look forward to a successful movie.”
The film stars Chinese actor Jiayin Lei, best known for his roles in Guns and Roses and Brotherhood of Blades II.
Lei plays Mark Ma, a Chinese expat working in Australia for a local mining company.
A fatal accident leads Ma to discover that the new technology being developed by his company may have tremendous safety risks, spurring him to investigate a tangled web of conspiracies.
The production involves more than 200 local cast and crew, making it the largest in Victoria since the Steven Spielberg-produced mini series The Pacific was filmed in 2010.
Filming is expected to inject more than $40 million into the local economy.
Screen Australia chief executive Graeme Mason said he was thrilled to have The Whistleblower being produced in Australia.
“Official co-productions are a fantastic opportunity for creative partners to come together and collaborate on story, share skill sets and benefit from the financial screen incentives offered by both countries,” he said.
Creative Industries Minister Martin Foley said the film provides a welcome boost for local jobs and businesses.
“From our talented crews to our diversity of locations, Victoria has been steadily building its reputation as a screen leader and a destination of choice for … productions.”
Filming on The Whistleblower will continue until October.
