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 |
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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 when an Australian journalist interviewed a woman named Juliana, who as a young girl witnessed Roger East's capture and execution by the Indonesian invasion force.
The point of view goes first on Roger East's investigation upon the imminent Indonesian invasion of East Timor. Also, he investigates the fate of the Balibo Five, who was in Balibo covering the events in the area.
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 was inserted in a Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (abbreviated as FRETILIN from the Portuguese name) 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 on the journo. Roger was with Jose Ramos-Horta as his bodyguard along the way, evading Indonesian patrols and seeing villages with massacred inhabitants, and also settled their arguments between Roger's insistence of knowing the truth and Jose's hesitance to assist such a risky move. While the Five were with a FRETILIN unit, up to the point of the Indonesian attack on their position.
They painted Australia upon the building to ensure their safety, but it was nothing to Indonesian invaders. The Five declined requests of their FRETILIN bodyguards to join them into the retreat from the area. The Five is then covering the invasion, when the Indonesian soldiers chased 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 3 and the surviving journo was captured and repeatedly stabbed to death by a bayonet.
Then Roger's point of view ended when the Indonesians invade Dili with paratroopers and ground troops. He was captured with East Timorese men and Juliana watches as the men were executed by the Indonesians, women were segregated and raped, and Roger was executed by the Indonesian soldiers. The interviewer ended Juliana's interview and she leaves while hugging a child.
The film ends with the inscription that the murderers of the Balibo Five and Roger East were not put to justice and pictures from the groups, and scenes from Horta's rallies and later on, 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 is an East Timorese politician currently serving as president of East Timor since May 2022. He previously served as president 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 is 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".
José Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmão is an East Timorese politician who has served as the prime minister of East Timor since 2023, previously serving in that position from 2007 to 2015. A former rebel, he also served as East Timor's first president since its re-establishment of independence, from 20 May 2002 to 20 May 2007.
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.
The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor is a centre-left political party in East Timor. It presently holds 23 of 65 seats in the National Parliament. Fretilin formed the government in East Timor until its independence in 2002. It obtained the presidency in 2017 under Francisco Guterres but lost in the 2022 East Timorese presidential election.
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.
Francisco Xavier do Amaral was an East Timorese politician. A founder of the Frente Revolucionária de Timor Leste Independente (Fretilin), Amaral was sworn in as the first President of East Timor when the country, then a Portuguese colony, made a unilateral declaration of independence on 28 November 1975. He was a member of the National Parliament for the Timorese Social Democratic Association from 2001 until his death in 2012. Amaral was also known as "Abo (Grandfather) Xavier", a term of endearment, by East Timorese.
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.
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.
Parliamentary elections were held in East Timor on 30 June 2007. The new composition of East Timor's national parliament was determined by the country's population. 529,198 voters were entitled to vote, 708 polling stations were ready.
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 Lobato is an Timorese politician and former Interior Minister belonging to Fretilin. 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, a 1974 coup 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.
The National Council of Maubere Resistance was an umbrella organisation of East Timorese individuals and organisations dedicated to resisting the Indonesian occupation of 1975–1999.
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 and The Bank, and the producer of Romulus, My Father and The Boys. He is head of the film distribution company, Footprint Films, owned by Arenafilms.
Australia, a close neighbour of both Indonesia and East Timor, was the only country to recognise Indonesia's annexation of East Timor. Some members of the Australian public supported self-determination for East Timor, and also actively supported the independence movement within Australia. The Australian Government saw the need for both stability and good relations with their neighbour, Indonesia. However, it was criticised in some quarters, including by Xanana Gusmão for putting those issues above human rights. In 1998, the Howard government changed its stance and supported East Timor self-determination, prompting a referendum that saw East Timor gain its independence.
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 Provisional Government of East Timor (PGET),, was an Indonesian supported puppet provisional government in present day East Timor that was formed on 17 December 1975 following the Indonesian invasion of East Timor and disbanded on 17 July 1976 when the region was annexed by Indonesia as the province of Timor Timur.