The powerful true-to-life political thriller, Balibo, will begin principal photography in Darwin, Australia and East Timor on 30th June 2008.
Leading the newly announced cast is Anthony LaPaglia (Without A Trace) and US actor, Oscar Isaac (PU-239, The Nativity Story). LaPaglia has returned to Australia for his first role in an Australian film since Lantana, whilst Isaac will join Balibo after having just completed shooting Agora opposite Rachel Weisz from acclaimed director Alejandro Amenábar.
Balibo director, Robert Connolly, who previously worked with LaPaglia on Australian crime thriller The Bank, will direct from a script (co-written with writer David Williamson – Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously) that is based on the shocking true events of the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975.
Balibo will see 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 (Oscar Isaac). 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, British and New Zealand journalists (from Australia’s Channel Seven and Channel Nine), who disappeared from the border village of Balibo some weeks previously.
Playing the five journalists are some of Australia’s finest young actors including; Damon Gameau (The Tracker) as Australian Greg Shackleton, Gyton Grantley (Underbelly, Danny Deckchair) as New Zealander Gary Cunningham, Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek, Snakes on a Plane) as Briton Malcolm Rennie, Mark Winter (Playing for Charlie) as Australian Tony Stewart and Thomas Wright (Torn, The King) as Briton Brian Peters.
Arenafilm’s John Maynard (Sweetie, The Boys, The Bank, Three Dollars, and Romulus My Father – Australian Film Institute’s Best Film for 2007) will produce with Rebecca Williamson. Balibo will be Maynard’s third film with Connolly.
ContentFilm International has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Balibo (excl. Australasia which will be through Footprint Films).
“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.”
Oscar Isaac will next be seen on screen later this year in Ridley Scott’s House of Lies with Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe.
[Release by Balibo Film]