Balibo | |
---|---|
Directed by | Robert Connolly |
Screenplay by | Robert Connolly David Williamson |
Based on | Cover-Up by Jill Jolliffe |
Produced by | Anthony LaPaglia Dominic Purcell |
Starring | Anthony LaPaglia Oscar Isaac Damon Gameau Gyton Grantley Nathan Phillips Mark Winter Thomas Wright Bea Viegas |
Cinematography | Tristan Milani |
Edited by | Nick Meyers |
Music by | Lisa Gerrard & Marcello De Francisci |
Distributed by | Transmission Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 111 minutes |
Countries | Australia East Timor |
Languages | English Tetum |
Budget | AU$4,500,000 |
Balibo is a 2009 Australian war film that follows the story of the Balibo Five, a group of journalists who were captured and killed while reporting on activities just prior to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor of 1975. The film is loosely based on the 2001 book Cover-Up by Jill Jolliffe, an Australian journalist who met the men before they were killed.
The film follows dishevelled journalist Roger East, played by Anthony LaPaglia, who travels to East Timor in 1975 to investigate the deaths of the Balibo Five during the buildup to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. [1] Oscar Isaac plays the young José Ramos-Horta, who would later receive the Nobel Peace Prize and become the second President of East Timor, [2] who joins East in the movie.
Filming began on 30 June 2008, in Dili, East Timor, [3] and the film was released the following year. It was produced by Arenafilm in Australia with Robert Connolly as director, David Williamson as screenwriter, and Professor Clinton Fernandes as historical consultant. [4] [5] LaPaglia, also an Executive Producer, named East as "probably the best role I've ever had". [6]
The film starts in the present day, when an Australian journalist interviews a woman named Juliana, who as a young girl witnessed Roger East's capture and execution by the Indonesian invasion force.
We see events from Roger East's point of view, as he investigates the imminent Indonesian invasion of East Timor, and the fate of the Balibo Five, five Australian journalists who went missing prior to the indonesian invasion.
Then the point of view changes to the Balibo Five's actions in the town, from their departure in Australia, to their arrival in East Timor and being embedded in a Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (abbreviated as FRETILIN in Portuguese) unit near the border.
Then the story interchanges between Roger East's attempted investigation upon the fate of the Five, and the Five's events in the area, and some of Juliana's story. Roger was with Jose Ramos-Horta along the way, evading Indonesian patrols and witnessing villages with massacred inhabitants.
The Balibo Five painted the Australian flag upon a building to ensure their safety, and declined requests of their FRETILIN bodyguards to join them in retreat. The Five then covers the invasion, until Indonesian soldiers chase and cornered them. One of the cameramen tried to tell the soldiers to spare them, but was shot by the officer Yunus Yosfiah. Then, the soldiers breached the building, killing the other journalists
Then Roger's point of view ends when the Indonesians invade Dili with paratroopers and ground troops. He was captured with East Timorese men and Juliana, as a child, watches as the men are executed by the Indonesians, women were segregated and raped, and Roger was executed by the Indonesian soldiers.
The film ends with the inscription that the murderers of the Balibo Five and Roger East were not brought to justice. Then, scenes from Horta's rallies are shown, and finally, free East Timorese enjoying the beach.
Balibo was the first feature film to be made in East Timor. Shooting in Dili began on 31 July 2008, with United Nations police closing off roads, to allow the scenes to be filmed. [7] Gritty 16mm-to-35mm visuals shot at the actual locations where the events took place give a documentary-style texture. [8]
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. [9] 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." [10]
Balibo received its world premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival on 24 July 2009 at Melbourne's Hamer Hall. [9]
It screened at the Antipodean Film Festival in Saint Tropez, France, in October 2010. [11]
The then President of East Timor, José Ramos-Horta, was in attendance at the world premiere, where there was an address alleging that the Balibo Five were tortured and killed by Indonesian forces. On changes over recent years in Indonesia Ramos-Horta said "It is better. Indonesian democracy today is one of the most inspiring in the south-east Asia region". [9] 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. [12] 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. [13] Rotten Tomatoes gives a score of 100% based on 12 reviews, 80% of audiences like the film. [14]
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." [8]
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." [6]
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." Davies commended Connolly and co-screenwriter 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. [15]
Balibo grossed $1,330,863 at the box office in Australia. [16]
Award | Category | Subject | Result |
---|---|---|---|
AACTA Awards (2009 AFI Awards) | Best Film | Anthony LaPaglia | Nominated |
Dominic Purcell | Nominated | ||
Best Direction | Robert Connolly | Nominated | |
Best Adapted Screenplay | Won | ||
David Williamson | Won | ||
Best Actor | Anthony LaPaglia | Won | |
Best Supporting Actor | Damon Gameau | Nominated | |
Oscar Isaac | Won | ||
Best Supporting Actress | Bea Viegas | Nominated | |
Best Cinematography | Tristan Milani | Nominated | |
Best Editing | Nick Meyers | Won | |
Best Original Music Score | Lisa Gerrard | Nominated | |
Best Sound | Ann Aucote | Nominated | |
Emma Bortignon | Nominated | ||
Phil Heywood | Nominated | ||
Sam Petty | Nominated | ||
Best Production Design | Robert Cousins | Nominated | |
Best Costume Design | Cappi Ireland | Nominated | |
ADG Award | Best Direction in a Feature Film | Robert Connolly | Nominated |
APRA Award [17] [18] [19] | Best Film Score | Lisa Gerrard | Won |
ARIA Music Award | Best Original Soundtrack Album | Won | |
ASE Award | Best Editing in a Feature Film | Nick Meyers | Nominated |
FCCA Awards | Best Film | Anthony LaPaglia | Nominated |
Dominic Purcell | Nominated | ||
Best Director | Robert Connolly | Nominated | |
Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
David Williamson | Nominated | ||
Best Actor – Male | Anthony LaPaglia | Won | |
Best Supporting Actor – Male | Damon Gameau | Nominated | |
Oscar Isaac | Nominated | ||
Best Cinematography | Tristan Milani | Nominated | |
Best Editing | Nick Meyers | Won | |
Best Music Score | Lisa Gerrard | Won | |
Inside Film Awards | Best Feature Film | Anthony LaPaglia | Nominated |
Dominic Purcell | Nominated | ||
Robert Connolly | Nominated | ||
Best Script | Nominated | ||
David Williamson | Nominated | ||
Best Actor | Anthony LaPaglia | Nominated | |
Best Cinematography | Tristan Milani | Nominated | |
Best Editing | Nick Meyers | Won | |
Best Music | Lisa Gerrard | Nominated | |
Best Sound | Ann Aucote | Won | |
Emma Bortignon | Won | ||
Phil Heywood | Won | ||
Sam Petty | Won | ||
Screen Music Award, Australia | Best Feature Film Score | Lisa Gerrard | Won |
São Paulo International Film Festival | Audience Award for Best Foreign Feature Film | Robert Connolly | Won |
The film was to have premiered in Indonesia at the 2009 Jakarta International Film Festival. 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. [20] [21]
José Manuel Ramos-Horta GCL GColIH is an East Timorese politician. He has been the president of East Timor since 2022, having previously also held the position from 20 May 2007 to 20 May 2012. Previously he was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2002 to 2006 and Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007. He was a co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, for working "towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor".
East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. The country comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor and the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco. The first inhabitants are thought to be descendant of Australoid and Melanesian peoples. The Portuguese began to trade with Timor by the early 16th century and colonised it throughout the mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty for which Portugal ceded the western half of the island. Imperial Japan occupied East Timor during World War II, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese surrender.
Balibo is a town in East Timor situated approximately 10 kilometres from the Indonesian border. It is located in the sub-district of Balibo, Bobonaro District.
The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian commercial television networks who were murdered in the period leading up to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. The Balibo Five were based in the town of Balibo in East Timor, where they were killed on 16 October 1975 during Indonesian incursions before the invasion. Roger East travelled to Balibo soon after to investigate the likely deaths of the Five and was later executed by members of the Indonesian military on the docks of Dili.
The Redundancy of Courage is a novel by Timothy Mo published in 1991. It is set in the fictitious country of Danu in Southeast Asia, which is based on East Timor. It is narrated by Adolph Ng, an ethnic Chinese businessman educated in Canada. It was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction.
Roger East was an Australian journalist who was murdered by the Indonesian military during its invasion of East Timor in 1975.
Kirsty Sword Gusmão, is an Australian-East Timorese activist who served as the First Lady of East Timor from 2002 until 2007. She is married to Xanana Gusmão, former prime minister and president of East Timor, though they separated in 2015. She is the founding director of the Alola Foundation, which seeks to improve the lives of women in Timor-Leste, a nation with one of the world's lowest per capita GDPs.
The Indonesian invasion of East Timor, known in Indonesia as Operation Lotus, began on 7 December 1975 when the Indonesian military (ABRI/TNI) invaded East Timor under the pretext of anti-colonialism and anti-communism to overthrow the Fretilin regime that had emerged in 1974. The overthrow of the popular and short-lived Fretilin-led government sparked a violent quarter-century occupation in which approximately 100,000–180,000 soldiers and civilians are estimated to have been killed or starved to death. The Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor documented a minimum estimate of 102,000 conflict-related deaths in East Timor throughout the entire period from 1974 to 1999, including 18,600 violent killings and 84,200 deaths from disease and starvation; Indonesian forces and their auxiliaries combined were responsible for 70% of the killings.
Lieutenant General (Ret.) Muhammad Yunus Yosfiah is an Indonesian politician and a decorated member of the Indonesian Army. Yosfiah served as Minister of Information of Indonesia in the Development Reform Cabinet between 1998 and 1999.
Rogério Tiago De Fatima Lobato is a Timorese politician who was the former minister of defence and minister of interior belonging to Fretilin who is now the current President Of The Special Administrative Region Of Oecusse. He was a founding member of the first independent government of East Timor, in 1975, led by Fretilin. He is also the brother of the late Nicolau Lobato, second President of the country who was killed in action after the Indonesian invasion, in late 1978.
The Indonesian occupation of East Timor began in December 1975 and lasted until October 1999. After centuries of Portuguese colonial rule in East Timor, the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal led to the decolonisation of its former colonies, creating instability in East Timor and leaving its future uncertain. After a small-scale civil war, the pro-independence Fretilin declared victory in the capital city of Dili and declared an independent East Timor on 28 November 1975.
Bilateral relations exist between Australia and East Timor. Both countries are near neighbors with close political and trade ties. East Timor, the youngest and one of the poorest countries in Asia, lies about 610 kilometres northwest of the Australian city of Darwin and Australia has played a prominent role in the young republic's history.
East Timor–Portugal relations are foreign relations between Portugal and East Timor. Timor Leste has an embassy in Lisbon whilst Portugal has an embassy in Dili. East Timor was a colony of Portugal for over 400 years. Both countries belong to the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.
Robert Connolly is an Australian film director, producer, and screenwriter based in Melbourne, Victoria. He is best known as the director and writer of the feature films Balibo, Three Dollars, The Bank and The Dry and its sequel, as well as the producer of Romulus, My Father and The Boys. He is head of the film distribution company, Footprint Films, owned by Arenafilms.
The Tour de Timor is an international mountain bike race held in East Timor. It is a stage race with five stages, with US$75,000 in total prizes.
Frontyard Films is an Australian film production company that makes documentary films, owned by Australian documentary filmmakers Amanda King and Fabio Cavadini. Their films include An Evergreen Island, Starting from Zero and A Thousand Different Angles.
The East Timor genocide refers to the "pacification campaigns" of state terrorism which were waged by the Indonesian New Order government during the Indonesian invasion and occupation of East Timor. The majority of sources consider the Indonesian killings in East Timor to constitute genocide, while other scholars disagree on certain aspects of the definition.
The President B. J. Habibie Bridge is a two-lane road bridge in the suco of Bidau Santana, an inner suburb of Dili, capital city of East Timor. It is named after B. J. Habibie, the President of Indonesia who decided in 1999 to hold that year's referendum on whether East Timor would become independent of Indonesia.
Paul Michael Stewart is an Australian singer-songwriter and trumpeter, journalist and writer. He is the founding mainstay of pub rock band, Painters and Dockers. With fellow members of that group Stewart formed the Dili Allstars in 1992. The Painters and Dockers were inducted into the Age Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010. The group issued four studio albums and staged over 1500 performances across Australia, New Zealand and North America. He issued his autobiography, All the Rage, in 2022.
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