Based on the shocking true events of the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975, ‘BALIBO’ will star Anthony LaPaglia as Australian television journalist Roger East, who takes an unofficial job as the head of the East Timor News Agency at the behest of young idealistic revolutionary José Ramos-Horta. While reporting on the bloody suppression of the East Timorese at the hands of the Indonesians, East attempts to discover the fate of five missing Australian journalists, who disappeared from the border village of Balibo some weeks previously.
Connolly, who previously worked with LaPaglia on Australian crime thriller ‘The Bank’ will direct from a script he co-wrote with writer David Williamson (‘Gallipoli’, ‘The Year of Living Dangerously’). Balibo will utilise archival newsreel footage from the original conflict, some of it taken by the missing journalists. Principal photography is scheduled for early 2008.
Arenafilm’s John Maynard (‘Sweetie’, ‘The Boys’, ‘The Bank’, ‘Three Dollars, ‘Romulus My Father’) will produce with Rebecca Williamson, his third film with Connolly.
ContentFilm will co-finance ‘Balibo’ alongside Australia’s FFC, who green lit the film at last week’s board meeting, and regional funding body Film Victoria.
“I’m looking forward to returning home to work again,” says LaPaglia. “It’s such an inspiring team and an important story for Australia and the region.
“ContentFilm Intl President, Jamie Carmichael said, “Very timely subject matter, a powerful thriller, a great creative team – and the unique prospect of original footage interwoven into the film itself, makes BALIBO a heady mix of action adventure and courageous journalism.”