'The Whistle Blower' Is Based On A Real Life Cloning Scandal

A film inspired by a real life science scandal might not initially seem like a box office draw. But the scandal in the k-movie "The Whistle Blower" concerns the highly controversial topic of cloning. That may be why "The Whistle Blower" drew 100,000 viewers on its opening night. The film, which opened on Oct. 2, earned over $4 million on its first weekend.

The film tells the story of a Korean scientist Hwang Woo Suk, who fabricated evidence to support his claim that he cloned stem cells from human embryos. He published two papers saying that he had been able to do so. But a whistle blower later revealed that Hwang faked data and obtained human egg cells by paying for them, which is considered unethical. His work was eventually discredited.

Some have criticized the film the film for not sticking to the facts. But director Soon Rye Yim says that his film does not claim to be a documentary. Instead it's a story about the misguided choices people sometimes make.

"This topic is sensitive, so I was hesitant when I got the first offer," said Soon.

The director told "Nature" that to create a compelling film the focus had to be on "Fast action, dramatic conflicts and famous actors."

In the film, a producer named Min Chul hears that Newman Medical, the biggest sterility clinic in Korea, is buying human eggs illegally. He suspects a headline-generating scandal but is even more enthusiastic about the story when he discovers that Dr. Lee Jang Hwan (based on Hwang) is involved in the case. The stem cell scientist is a national hero. He gets a call a scientist working inside the lab and gets to know the true story. When they try to reveal the truth, however, they are met with disbelief. The public does not want to think the hero-doctor is a fraud.

Park Hae Il, who appeared in the film "Boomerang Family," plays Min Chul, the reporter. Yoo Yeon Suk, last seen in "Reply 1994," is the young scientist whistleblower. Lee Geung Young, who can be seen in "Chronicles of a Blood Merchant," plays Dr. Lee.

Nor did the filmmaker want to portray Hwang as a villain but rather as a man so lost in the pursuit of his goal that he stopped caring about what it took to achieve it.

 "I wanted to portray him as a character that faces a very human problem, and to show there is room to understand his actions," he said in the "Nature" interview.