Third on my flim fevistal slate was Balibo, an Australian dramatisation of the Balibo Five story, and the efforts of subsequent journalist Roger East to uncover the truth.
The Balibo Five are far less well-known than they should be. Basically, they were Australian TV journalists (including one Kiwi) who went into East Timor to document the Indonesian invasion, and were executed when captured by Indonesian forces.
It was an intense film, playing out like a thriller but of course the horrible events depicted were real. Very effectively made, excellent performances, stunning location cinematography (it is, says wikipedia, the first film ever made in East TImor). The only thing that struck a bum note to me was the final fate of Roger East, which did not feel of a piece with the rest of the film; the way it was edited and cut together changed register into melodrama, when the events themselves didn’t need any help. But this is a small criticism only.
The film only had its world premiere a few days ago at the Melbourne fest, where current East Timor president Jose Horta was in attendance. The younger version of Jose is one of the main characters in the film, and it’s a depiction that isn’t entirely flattering. It deserved his presence, though; this film is intended to raise awareness of the depicted events. Film has the power to make stories like this catch in the imagination; I’m going to remember this film much more vividly than I ever remembered the details that I read in various articles a decade ago. This film can only help bring wider understanding of the events of 1975 and the consequences for the region.
An excellent film. Though I’m ready for a happy NZFF flick now plz.