Balibo (2009 film)
Encyclopedia
Balibo is a 2009 Australian feature film
that follows the story of the Balibo Five
, a group of journalist
s who were captured and killed whilst reporting on activities just prior to the Indonesia
n invasion of East Timor
in 1975. The film is loosely based on the book Cover-Up, by Jill Jolliffe
, an Australian journalist who met the men before they were killed. The book had been a source of controversy because of its criticism of some of the people involved in the campaign for justice.
Produced by Arenafilm in Australia
, with Robert Connolly
as director
and David Williamson
as screenwriter
, filming began on 30 June 2008, in Dili
, East Timor
.
The main members of the cast are Anthony LaPaglia
, playing the part of Roger East
, another Australian journalist, who went to investigate the deaths of the Balibo Five only to be killed the day after the Indonesian invasion and Oscar Isaac
as José Ramos Horta
, now the country's President
.
LaPaglia, also an Executive Producer, names East as "probably the best role I've ever had". The five journalists are played by Damon Gameau
as Greg Shackleton, Gyton Grantley
as Gary Cunningham, Nathan Phillips
as Malcolm Rennie, Mark Winter
as Tony Stewart and Thomas Wright
as Brian Peters.
The film has been dubbed
into Tetum, East Timor's national language.
. Introduced as a once-fearless foreign correspondent now working in PR
in Darwin, East is drawn to East Timor by José Ramos-Horta, of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor
; then the fledgling republic's charismatic young secretary of foreign affairs. Initially refusing to become involved, East changes his tune after Horta shows him photos of five Australian TV reporters missing in the border town of Balibo.
Vignettes then show Greg Shackleton, Gary Cunningham, Malcolm Rennie, Brian Peters and Tony Stewart, all under 30, saying goodbye to loved ones and setting out on their assignments a month earlier.
Parallel action follows with the Balibo Five
tracked from East Timor's capital to their terrifying end after filming the Indonesian advance, and East and Horta retracing their steps through by now extremely dangerous territory. Shackleton's last surviving report is recreated: sitting in a village, he says its inhabitants don't know if they will be alive tomorrow and have asked him why no one in Australia or anywhere else will help.
Drawing attention to the techniques of news gathering and delivery in 1975, the film raises the idea of what might have happened had the Balibo Five
not been cut off from communicating with the world and slowed by heavy 16mm film equipment.
Bookended by contemporary scenes of a fictional Timorese woman remembering East and life under Indonesian occupation, the film closes with a tribute to the nation's rebirth in 1999 and the thousands of lives lost in the struggle for independence.
. Shooting in Dili
began on 31 July 2008, with United Nations
police closing off roads, to allow the scenes to be filmed. Gritty 16mm-to-35mm visuals shot at the actual locations where the events took place give a documentary-style texture.
The film's version of events was validated by an Australian coroner in 2007. After a fresh review of the evidence, the coroner ruled that the journalists were executed as they tried to surrender to Indonesian forces.
The filmmakers hope that Balibo
will spur the Australian government into action. Almost 18 months on, it has not responded to the coroner's findings - a reticence which may stem from its fear of upsetting diplomatic relations with Jakarta. Robert Connolly
said that he did not set out to provoke Jakarta but wanted to examine a seminal moment in Indonesia's 24-year occupation of East Timor, when an estimated 183,000 people died: "I think it had to be graphic because otherwise you dangerously dilute what happened."
on 24 July 2009 at Melbourne's Hamer Hall. The President of East Timor
, José Ramos-Horta was in attendance and an address alleged that the Balibo Five were tortured and killed by Indonesian forces. On changes over recent years in Indonesia Horta said "It is better. Indonesian democracy today is one of the most inspiring in the south-east Asia region." Also in attendance were the families of the Balibo Five. Relatives of Tony Stewart held aloft a banner bearing his name which had been embroidered by East Timorese women. Maureen Tolfree, sister of Brian Peters, said she hoped many Australians would see the film and that she thought "...it will bring to the Australian public what's gone on," she said.
Variety
s Richard Kuipers dubbed the film "a tense, character-driven thriller with political comment on the side, allowing viewers with little or no prior knowledge of the subject matter to engage instinctively with the Balibo Five
," filmed where it happened and "packing a huge emotional punch". Kuipers continues: "LaPaglia is particularly good as the weary scribe who slowly rediscovers his old fire, and Isaac sparks off him impressively as the younger man whose ability to read people is as sharp as his political acumen."
Screen International
s Frank Hatherley opined: "Shot on location with loving attention to period detail, the film's take on these long-buried events is convincing. Connolly's three strands are expertly woven together, coming to twin climaxes where terror and cruelty overwhelm everyone. These ‘killing field' scenes are not for the squeamish."
The Monthly
s Luke Davies
wrote: "Jill Jollife's book ... argues that the Australian government has always known the exact circumstances of the newsmen's deaths. Connolly doesn't try to answer such questions, but rather lets them echo in the film." Davie's commended Connolly and co-screewnwriter David Williamson
for having "crafted an engaging film in which we come to care about the destiny of an entire people as well as for individual characters", and that "the film's denouement is terrifying", making it a realistic and confronting experience.
(APRA) and Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) at the City Recital Hall
, Sydney.
awards for 2009.
. However in advance of a private screening, the film was banned by the Indonesian Film Censorship Agency. Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa
said the ban was to avoid a negative "global perception of Indonesia". The Indonesian military supported the ban, with a spokesman saying the film could harm Indonesia's relations with Timor Leste and Australia. He also repeated the official version of events, namely that the journalists were killed in a crossfire, and not by Indonesian troops.
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
that follows the story of the Balibo Five
Balibo Five
The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian television networks based in the town of Balibo in East Timor where they were killed on 16 October 1975 during Indonesian incursions prior to the invasion....
, a group of journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
s who were captured and killed whilst reporting on activities just prior to the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n invasion of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
in 1975. The film is loosely based on the book Cover-Up, by Jill Jolliffe
Jill Jolliffe
Jill Jolliffe is an Australian journalist and author who has reported on East Timor since 1975. She witnessed the first incursions of Indonesian regular troops into East Timor in September 1975 and reported on the deaths of the Balibo Five the following month.Jolliffe lived in Portugal from 1978...
, an Australian journalist who met the men before they were killed. The book had been a source of controversy because of its criticism of some of the people involved in the campaign for justice.
Produced by Arenafilm in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, with Robert Connolly
Robert Connolly
Robert Connolly is a politically conscious film director, producer and screenwriter based in Melbourne, Australia.Connolly is best known as the director and writer of the feature films Balibo, Three Dollars and The Bank, and the producer of the high-profile Australian films Romulus My Father and...
as director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and David Williamson
David Williamson
David Keith Williamson AO is one of Australia's best-known playwrights. He has also written screenplays and teleplays.-Biography:...
as screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, filming began on 30 June 2008, in Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
.
The main members of the cast are Anthony LaPaglia
Anthony LaPaglia
Anthony M. LaPaglia is an Australian actor. He is known for his role as FBI agent Jack Malone on the American TV series Without a Trace, for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
, playing the part of Roger East
Roger East
Roger East was an Australian journalist who was executed by the Indonesian military in its invasion of East Timor in 1975....
, another Australian journalist, who went to investigate the deaths of the Balibo Five only to be killed the day after the Indonesian invasion and Oscar Isaac
Oscar Isaac
-Personal life:Isaac was born in Guatemala to a Guatemalan mother, Maria Estrada Nicolle, and a Cuban pulmonologist father, Oscar Gonzalo Hernandez. He was raised in Miami, Florida. While in Miami, he played lead guitar and sang vocals for his band "The Blinking Underdogs"...
as José Ramos Horta
José Ramos Horta
José Manuel Ramos-Horta , GCL is the President of East Timor, the second since independence from Indonesia, taking office on 20 May 2007...
, now the country's President
President of East Timor
The President of East Timor is the Head of state of the East Timorese republic, elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The role is largely symbolic, though he is able to veto some legislation. Following elections, the president appoints as the prime minister, the leader of the majority party...
.
LaPaglia, also an Executive Producer, names East as "probably the best role I've ever had". The five journalists are played by Damon Gameau
Damon Gameau
Damon Gameau is an Australian television and film actor, who has appeared in the Australian series Love My Way, and in a small role in the US series How I Met Your Mother, as well as the 2002 Australian film The Tracker....
as Greg Shackleton, Gyton Grantley
Gyton Grantley
Gyton Grantley is a Logie Award and AFI Award-winning Australian actor, best known for his portrayal of convicted murderer and drug trafficker Carl Williams in the hit Australian television show Underbelly, for which he was nominated for both Most Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series and Most...
as Gary Cunningham, Nathan Phillips
Nathan Phillips (actor)
Nathan Scott Phillips is an Australian actor who is currently based in Los Angeles. He is perhaps best known for his role as backpacker Ben Mitchell in Wolf Creek and for his American film debut, Snakes on a Plane, opposite Samuel L...
as Malcolm Rennie, Mark Winter
Mark Winter
Mark Winter is an editorial cartoonist from New Zealand who works under the pen-name Chicane.His cartoons have been published in The Southland Times newspaper for more than 25 years, and are now published nationally via the stuff.co.nz website...
as Tony Stewart and Thomas Wright
Thomas Wright
Thomas Wright was an English antiquarian and writer.-Life:Wright was born near Ludlow, in Shropshire, descended from a Quaker family formerly living at Bradford, Yorkshire...
as Brian Peters.
The film has been dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
into Tetum, East Timor's national language.
Plot
The story is seen through the eyes of veteran journalist Roger EastRoger East
Roger East was an Australian journalist who was executed by the Indonesian military in its invasion of East Timor in 1975....
. Introduced as a once-fearless foreign correspondent now working in PR
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
in Darwin, East is drawn to East Timor by José Ramos-Horta, of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor
Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor
The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor is a leftist political party in East Timor. They presently hold a plurality of seats in the National Parliament and formed the government in East Timor from independence until 2007...
; then the fledgling republic's charismatic young secretary of foreign affairs. Initially refusing to become involved, East changes his tune after Horta shows him photos of five Australian TV reporters missing in the border town of Balibo.
Vignettes then show Greg Shackleton, Gary Cunningham, Malcolm Rennie, Brian Peters and Tony Stewart, all under 30, saying goodbye to loved ones and setting out on their assignments a month earlier.
Parallel action follows with the Balibo Five
Balibo Five
The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian television networks based in the town of Balibo in East Timor where they were killed on 16 October 1975 during Indonesian incursions prior to the invasion....
tracked from East Timor's capital to their terrifying end after filming the Indonesian advance, and East and Horta retracing their steps through by now extremely dangerous territory. Shackleton's last surviving report is recreated: sitting in a village, he says its inhabitants don't know if they will be alive tomorrow and have asked him why no one in Australia or anywhere else will help.
Drawing attention to the techniques of news gathering and delivery in 1975, the film raises the idea of what might have happened had the Balibo Five
Balibo Five
The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian television networks based in the town of Balibo in East Timor where they were killed on 16 October 1975 during Indonesian incursions prior to the invasion....
not been cut off from communicating with the world and slowed by heavy 16mm film equipment.
Bookended by contemporary scenes of a fictional Timorese woman remembering East and life under Indonesian occupation, the film closes with a tribute to the nation's rebirth in 1999 and the thousands of lives lost in the struggle for independence.
Production
Balibo was the first feature film to be made in East TimorEast Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
. Shooting in Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
began on 31 July 2008, with United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
police closing off roads, to allow the scenes to be filmed. Gritty 16mm-to-35mm visuals shot at the actual locations where the events took place give a documentary-style texture.
The film's version of events was validated by an Australian coroner in 2007. After a fresh review of the evidence, the coroner ruled that the journalists were executed as they tried to surrender to Indonesian forces.
The filmmakers hope that Balibo
Balibo
Balibo is a town in East Timor situated approximately from the Indonesian border. It is located in the subdistrict of Balibo, Bobonaro District....
will spur the Australian government into action. Almost 18 months on, it has not responded to the coroner's findings - a reticence which may stem from its fear of upsetting diplomatic relations with Jakarta. Robert Connolly
Robert Connolly
Robert Connolly is a politically conscious film director, producer and screenwriter based in Melbourne, Australia.Connolly is best known as the director and writer of the feature films Balibo, Three Dollars and The Bank, and the producer of the high-profile Australian films Romulus My Father and...
said that he did not set out to provoke Jakarta but wanted to examine a seminal moment in Indonesia's 24-year occupation of East Timor, when an estimated 183,000 people died: "I think it had to be graphic because otherwise you dangerously dilute what happened."
Reception
Balibo received its world premiere at the Melbourne International Film FestivalMelbourne International Film Festival
The Melbourne International Film Festival is an acclaimed annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1951, making it one of the oldest in the World....
on 24 July 2009 at Melbourne's Hamer Hall. The President of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, José Ramos-Horta was in attendance and an address alleged that the Balibo Five were tortured and killed by Indonesian forces. On changes over recent years in Indonesia Horta said "It is better. Indonesian democracy today is one of the most inspiring in the south-east Asia region." Also in attendance were the families of the Balibo Five. Relatives of Tony Stewart held aloft a banner bearing his name which had been embroidered by East Timorese women. Maureen Tolfree, sister of Brian Peters, said she hoped many Australians would see the film and that she thought "...it will bring to the Australian public what's gone on," she said.
Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
s Richard Kuipers dubbed the film "a tense, character-driven thriller with political comment on the side, allowing viewers with little or no prior knowledge of the subject matter to engage instinctively with the Balibo Five
Balibo Five
The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian television networks based in the town of Balibo in East Timor where they were killed on 16 October 1975 during Indonesian incursions prior to the invasion....
," filmed where it happened and "packing a huge emotional punch". Kuipers continues: "LaPaglia is particularly good as the weary scribe who slowly rediscovers his old fire, and Isaac sparks off him impressively as the younger man whose ability to read people is as sharp as his political acumen."
Screen International
Screen International
Screen International is a multimedia film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by EMAP, a British b2b media company.The magazine is primarily aimed at those involved in the global movie business...
s Frank Hatherley opined: "Shot on location with loving attention to period detail, the film's take on these long-buried events is convincing. Connolly's three strands are expertly woven together, coming to twin climaxes where terror and cruelty overwhelm everyone. These ‘killing field' scenes are not for the squeamish."
The Monthly
The Monthly
The Monthly is an Australian national magazine of politics, society and the arts, which is published eleven times per year on a monthly basis except the December/January issue. Founded in 2005, it is published by Melbourne property developer Morry Schwartz...
s Luke Davies
Luke Davies
Luke Davies is an Australian writer of novels, poetry and screenplays, born in Sydney in 1962.Davies' first poetry collection, Four Plots for Magnets, was published in 1982, when he was twenty....
wrote: "Jill Jollife's book ... argues that the Australian government has always known the exact circumstances of the newsmen's deaths. Connolly doesn't try to answer such questions, but rather lets them echo in the film." Davie's commended Connolly and co-screewnwriter David Williamson
David Williamson
David Keith Williamson AO is one of Australia's best-known playwrights. He has also written screenplays and teleplays.-Biography:...
for having "crafted an engaging film in which we come to care about the destiny of an entire people as well as for individual characters", and that "the film's denouement is terrifying", making it a realistic and confronting experience.
APRA Awards
The APRA-AGSC Screen Music Awards of 2009 were issued on 2 November, by Australasian Performing Right AssociationAustralasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
(APRA) and Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) at the City Recital Hall
City Recital Hall
City Recital Hall, or City Recital Hall Angel Place, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is a purpose-built concert venue with the capacity for 1,238 guests seated over three tiers of sloped seating...
, Sydney.
- 2009APRA Awards of 2009The Australasian Performing Right Association Awards of 2009 are a series of awards which include the APRA Music Awards, Classical Music Awards, and Screen Music Awards. The APRA Music Awards ceremony occurred on 23 June at the Peninsula in Melbourne, they were presented by APRA and the...
Best Feature Film Score win for Balibo by Lisa GerrardLisa GerrardLisa Gerrard is an Australian musician, singer, and composer who rose to prominence as part of the music group Dead Can Dance with former music partner Brendan Perry....
. - 2009 Best Original Song Composed for the Screen win for "Balibo" by Ego LemosEgo LemosEgo Lemos is a permaculturist and singer-songwriter from East Timor who sings in his native tongue, Tetum. His song "Balibo" was awarded best original song composed for the screen at the 2009 Screen Music Awards and a 2009 APRA Award for best song in a film. His debut solo album, produced by...
. - 2009 Best Soundtrack Album nomination for Balibo by various artists.
Australian Film Critics Association Awards
Balibo won Best Australian Film in the Australian Film Critics AssociationAustralian Film Critics Association
The Australian Film Critics Association or AFCA is an Australian film critic organisation.-History:Formed in 1996, AFCA began as the Melbourne Film Critics’ Forum, expanding to a national organisation in 2004...
awards for 2009.
Indonesian ban
The film was to have premiered in Indonesia at the 2009 Jakarta International Film FestivalJakarta International Film Festival
The Jakarta International Film Festival is the major film festival of Indonesia held every December in the capital, Jakarta, since 1999....
. However in advance of a private screening, the film was banned by the Indonesian Film Censorship Agency. Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa
Marty Natalegawa
Raden Mohammad Marty Muliana Natalegawa, more commonly known as Marty Natalegawa, is an Indonesian diplomat and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Second United Indonesia Cabinet...
said the ban was to avoid a negative "global perception of Indonesia". The Indonesian military supported the ban, with a spokesman saying the film could harm Indonesia's relations with Timor Leste and Australia. He also repeated the official version of events, namely that the journalists were killed in a crossfire, and not by Indonesian troops.
External links
- Hindsight Has Not Cleared the Vision of an Atrocity, Gerard HendersonGerard HendersonGerard Henderson is a conservative Australian newspaper columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald.. He is also Executive Director of the Sydney Institute, a privately funded current affairs forum. His wife Anne Henderson is Deputy Director.-Education:Henderson attended the Jesuit Xavier College in...
, Sydney Morning Herald, 17 August 2009. - Balibo's Grisly Truth, Caroline OveringtonCaroline OveringtonCaroline Overington is an Australian journalist and author.Born in May 1970, Overington grew up in Melton, Victoria where she attended Melton South Primary School and Melton High School. Post secondary school she began her journalism cadetship with The Age Suburban Newspapers. She later took up a...
, The AustralianThe AustralianThe Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
, 4 August 2009. - Cover-up: A Film's Travesty of Omissions, John PilgerJohn PilgerJohn Richard Pilger is an Australian journalist and documentary maker, based in London. He has twice won Britain's Journalist of the Year Award, and his documentaries have received academy awards in Britain and the US....
, antiwar.comAntiwar.comAntiwar.com is a website devoted to opposing aggressive war, imperialism, and assaults on freedom associated with both. The editors describe their politics as libertarian. Their stated motiviation is, "to show how the imperialistic tendencies of the American government lead to a loss of civil...
, 20 August 2009.