BALIBO

Australia, 2009, 111 minutes, Colour.
Anthony La Paglia, Oscar Isaac, Bea Viegas, Anamaria Barreto, Nathan Phillips, Damon Gameau.
Directed by Robert Connolly.

Balibo won many awards in 2009, including the Interfaith award at the Brisbane film festival.

The film has great interest for Australian audiences, especially those with memories of the episodes in 1975 involving five Australian journalists who were killed by the Indonesians. Their deaths were covered up, it took a very long time to get the factual details of what happened to them.

Australia was complicit in the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975. It was more silent than affirming of Indonesia, as seemed to be the United Nations. However, East Timor as a Portuguese colony for many centuries had lived independently but was overrun by the Indonesians. Because it was so small, it seemed that it would never regain independence. After twenty-three years of Indonesian rule, with great cruelty and the loss of many lives, East Timor in fact achieved independence in the late 1990s.

Jose Ramos Horta who was the ambassador for the exiled government during those decades, living in Australia, getting a great deal of help from Australians, especially from the churches for refugees and moral support, became president of the new East Timor. Xanana Gusmao, also an activist during this period, became prime minister. The film ends with the actual Jose Ramos Horta returning to Dili and meeting the people.

However, this is an Australian production, especially for Australian audiences and western audiences. As noted in the screenplay, many hundreds of East Timorese died and did not make headlines in Australia whereas the deaths of the five television journalists did. The point is made that audiences identify with people that they know – and then can learn about people that they don’t know.

The film’s story focuses on journalist Roger East, a veteran war correspondent and investigative journalist. He is played very well by Anthony La Paglia (Australian Film Institute Best Actor Award) as a kind of burnt-out case, rather world-weary, but invited by Jose Ramos Horta to be the coordinator of Fretilin communications in Timor prior to the Indonesian invasion. Roger East declined, then decided to go, heard of the fate of the television journalists, made inquiries of their ABC collaborator, went to Dili and tried to follow in their footsteps to discover what happened. He discovered a great deal, went to Balibo and the other sites near the Indonesian border, was accompanied by Jose Ramos Horta who had many contacts, including the drivers of the journalists. They were shelled by helicopter fire in the forests, separated and Roger East made his way back to Dili. He decided to stay, to file reports, but the machinery was smashed by the Indonesian invaders and he was dragged to the harbourside and shot, his body falling into the harbour.

Intercut with this story of Roger East trying to find out what happened to the journalists as well as his trying to find out about the invasion, are the scenes of the journalists themselves, all in their twenties, all looking very much like the 1970s with hair and clothes, going out in a spirit of adventure, eager journalists to get stories and send them back. They were daredevil at times, but found the Indonesian invaders pursuing them and killing them. The film is a tribute to the journalists – and to their families, especially Shirley Shackleton, wife of Greg Shackleton, who campaigned for justice for them for several decades.

The film has captured the atmosphere of East Timor, the tropical country, many of the people acting as extras.

Oscar Isaac (St Joseph in The Nativity Story, in Agora and other films) portrays the young and charismatic Ramos Horta.

The framing of the film contains the memories of a fortysomething woman, Juliana, who comes in from the country to Dili to give evidence, memories of her childhood, the daughter of the hotel owner where Roger East stayed, trying to flee Dili, witness to his death.

The film takes its place in stories of war correspondents. It is very much a film promoting the role of the journalist in communicating news. It is also critical of Indonesia, the invasion, the cruelty, of all kinds of unjust wars.

1. An Australian perspective on the history of East Timor in the later 20th century? In the 70s and the invasion, 80s and 90s under Indonesian rule, the late 90s and independence?

2. Australian awareness of the story of the journalists who were killed? The headlines, the mystery, the government response, the Indonesian response? The slow unearthing of the facts?

3. A film about journalism and reporting, war journalists, in the face of the enemy, torture and death? Getting and communicating the stories? These journalists as young and adventurous?

4. World knowledge of East Timor, Portuguese colony, Indonesian rule, the relationship with Australia, the United Nations? Their stances during the Indonesian invasion?

5. The invasion, the political background, Timor and its lack of resources, Australia and its acquiescence? The background of oil and riches, economics? The Indonesian troops, the infiltration, crossing the border, the massacres, the subjection of the people, the rule of Indonesia, the casualties?

6. The framework of the present? Juliana and her coming to Dili, the background of her life, in the 21st century? The discussions and questions from the authorities, relating her experience, the story of her family, her survival, her awareness of Roger East?

7. The flashbacks to Roger East, a burnt-out case, a skilful journalist, weary, his age, experience? Anthony La Paglia’s performance? War reporting, his courage, investigative journalist, his drinking? His retirement, in the Northern Territory?

8. Jose Ramos Horta, young, the Fretilin background, his approach to East, East and his prejudice against him, his persevering, the meal, the proposal, East not accepting?

9. East’s change of mind, going to East Timor, at the hotel in Dili, friendship with the owner, the meal, Juliana and her games? Teaching her to flip the coin? His later return, the second meal, his concern for the owner, for him to escape with Juliana, the invasion, Dili?

10. The journalists, the interview with the ABC journalist, his warnings to the others, the later sequences with them? Channel 7 and Channel 9? Information about each of the journalists, their Australians and the New Zealander, their families and relationships, in their twenties, Australian television and the need for stories, the channel authorities, the audiences?

11. The intercutting of their story with that of Roger East’s search for them? East and Horta and their travelling together, meeting the people, the hazards, going to Balibo, in the forests, the attack by the helicopters, the effect on East and his wanting to go back? Yet his continuing? Finding evidence of the five? Travelling with Horta, interrogating the drivers and other contacts? Their finally being separated, Horta leading the soldiers away from East? His return to Dili, his decision to stay, broadcasting the story, his arrest, the destruction of the equipment, his being dragged through the streets, his defying the authorities, his death, his body in the harbour?

12. Jose Ramos Horta, his work in Timor, as a guide, his being with the five journalists, the propaganda, Fretilin, accusations that Fretilin was communist? His access to the various contacts, to the drivers? Arranging interviews for East, East and the maps, the reconstruction of the journey, the talk finally with Roger East about his being sent outside Timor, going into exile? His feeling that people would think he was a coward?

13. Channel 7 journalists, their types, the Aussie establishment and painting the wall, the flag? Rugged? With the Channel 9 group? The troops, meeting with the Fretilin, seeing the warships off the coast? Talking with the people, getting stories and interviews, their cans of film, getting them back to Dili? Seeing the invasion and the soldiers coming up the hill, fleeing? The photos and the shots? Their running from the troops, the confrontation, their being killed? The blood on the walls, East seeing the blood? The witnesses?

14. The people of East Timor, the massacres, the troops, the officer in charge, merciless towards the people, towards the journalists? The attitude towards the journalists and world opinion?

15. The information taking so long to get out of Timor? The deaths of the journalists and the exact nature of their deaths? Under Indonesian rule? The campaigns in Australia for justice? The headlines for Australian audiences – to understand the plight of the Timorese through the death of the journalists?

16. The end and the return of Jose Ramos Horta, his being welcomed by the crowds, his quarter of a century in exile, his campaign for East Timor? Becoming president?

17. The story of East Timor and the example of a small country and its final liberation? Liberation for all is possible?