Balibo

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As Indonesia prepares to invade the tiny nation of East Timor, five Australian based journalists go missing. Four weeks later, veteran foreign correspondent Roger East is lured to East Timor by the young and charismatic José Ramos-Horta to tell the story of his country and investigate the fate of the missing men. As East’s determination to uncover the truth grows, the threat of invasion intensifies and an unlikely friendship develops between the last foreign correspondent in East Timor and the man who will become President. BALIBO is a political thriller that tells the true story of crimes that have been covered up for over thirty years.

As you will see in more detail in the Diary of the film festival this film was 7 years in the making. For more details please visit: Click Here

I have to begin with telling you that this opened the eyes of the world to what really happened in the 1970’s, and has lead to enquires opening in western governments to highlight the mistakes which were made by top officials. These journalists died and all they hoped for was to highlight an invasion of a foreign country, they paid the ultimate price for the work they believed could change the world, a little like my reviews! (that is a joke).

Following these charismatic chaps through a country that really very few people know much about still, 30 years on, it was an adventure. When Anchorman highlighted the competition between news agencies people laughed, and so they do in this rather more serious drama, but the rivalry is intertwined with genuine friendships that are formed by working abroad. This comes off the screen to glorify how being accepting of cultures and foes (all be it different news agencies) can be rewarding.

This film punches through to you and keeps you gripped with every laugh, every introduction of cultural history and ultimately, with every gun shot.