Balibo Page #2

great help in the hotel.

Yes, I know.

I ah, understand that there were

some journalists here recently.

Yes.

They were sitting

where you're sitting.

Only three weeks ago.

- Where were they going?

- Ah, I think they go to Balibo.

This is Dili, where we are,

and this is Balibo

near the Indonesian border.

Ramos-Horta arranged it.

- Horta?

- Yes.

Well, I think

we might get going, actually.

Tony. Tony!

No, no, no.

I appreciate your enthusiasm.

Tonight drink, eat.

Tomorrow we go.

Oh, maybe one more hour.

Senor East?

You enjoy your meal?

- Yes, it was excellent.

- That's good.

Juliana, can you bring

the glass and the bottle?

Wait a minute.

- That's for you.

- Thank you.

It's an Australian coin.

Here, let me teach you.

Keep your thumb straight,

and just use your flumb...

You just use your thumb

to flick it, alright?

Perfect.

Well done.

Who's that?

That is the Queen of England.

What's she doing on it?

That's a very good question.

I think your friends

left some bag behind.

So, ah, so he knows

where we're going?

- No.

- Perfect.

Yes. He will take you up there.

- Alright. We'll see you soon.

- Okay. Okay.

Okay, have fun.

We're away!

Bye bye!

You didn't tell me...

that you took the first group

of journalists up to Balibo.

I didn't?

No.

Oh.

Well yes, yes, I arranged for the

first group to travel to Balibo,

- Ah!

- But only if it was safe.

So who drove them?

A man named Ximines.

Anything else you've

forgotten to tell me?

No.

Obrigado.

Look, Roger.

Look. Mango.

Our nation's most famous aphrodisiac.

Hmm?

- I think I'm a bit past that, mate.

- Are you?

- This Ximines chap.

- Mm?

Was he with the journalists

in Balibo?

He's in Maubara,

half a day's journey.

How do I get there?

Roger, please.

It's very dangerous.

There's very important work

to do in Dili.

How do I get there?

Okay.

We make a deal.

I will take you to Maubara, okay?

I will show you.

And then we go back to Dili

and you run our news agency.

Deal?

Okay, Maubara it is.

Now it's quiet.

Very quiet.

Some say deceptively so.

But just 50 kilometres away,

on the border between Indonesia,

guerilla fighting continues.

Maubara.

Maubara. 2-1-2. Two.

- Great, Greg.

- Keep going.

Maubara, 1-2, 1-2.

Alright.

Just watch the radio there.

They are returning

from the frontlines.

Long before a war officially begins,

there are frontlines to defend.

We stay here the night.

Tomorrow we find Ximines.

Roger, this way.

Okay, come on, come on, let's go.

Okay, okay.

Camera's rolling. And...

There's marshal music in

between his words.

Is his speech very warlike?

Does he talk a lot about fighting?

Yeah, he has talked long

time for fighting.

Only fighting.

And hoping that people

will listen to the radio.

And when Fretilin broadcasts,

what does Fretilin say?

The Fretilin say we are

not Communists.

Great. Gary?

Yeah, good-oh. Happy.

STEWART:
Happy.

Okay, fantastic.

Thank you very much, everybody.

Obrigado. Obrigado.

Say thank you to these people?

What is this?

Indonesian propaganda.

What are they saying?

They say they know an Australian

journalist has arrived in Dili.

They look forward to slitting

his throat when they find him.

Okay goodnight, Roger.

Very funny.

Okay, what were they really saying?

Horta?

Roger!

Good morning.

What's going on, mate?

The Indonesians are advancing.

Everyone is retreating to Dili.

I found Ximines.

Let me talk to him.

I found him, huh?

Ten minutes.

- Ok.

- No, five minutes.

- Alright, alright.

- Five minutes,

- because we have to go.

- As much as I can have.

Are you right to go now?

- Pronto.

- Alright, jump in.

You speak English?

Yes, he speaks English.

But I will translate for him.

I'm looking for five

Australian journalists.

Have you seen them?

- Yes, he knows.

- Where?

He was...

he was their driver.

He took the group up

from Dili to Balibo.

This was three weeks ago.

He took them to Balibo.

He waited and he waited.

They would not come.

They would not retreat.

Okay, we have to go.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

No, no, no, no.

So it's possible, it's possible

that they're still alive, right?

Is it possible?

Maybe go to mountain.

Okay.

I want you to draw me a map.

- Roger...

- Understand?

the Indonesians are invading.

- We have to go.

- A map.

- Everyone is retreating.

- Please.

Draw me a map of Balibo.

Here is Balibo.

The Fort Portuguese is here.

Indonesia attack from here.

But first, we walk to Maliana.

There is a school mission...

School mission.

School mission.

Baras, Baras .

- That's it. Okay.

- Okay.

- How do we get there?

- The mission school?

Yes.

It's impossible.

It's impossible, Roger.

All of the roads are blocked.

Well how long would

it take to walk there?

To walk?

For me.

And you're an old man.

And you're a young man,

so you set the pace.

Just get a couple of shots of those

huts there and see what you get.

Just the huts?

Shackleton.

Tony Maniaty, ABC.

- I was hoping we'd run into you.

- How did you know we were here?

It's all over the Indonesian radio.

They're not happy we're here, mate.

Fretilin's preparing

to defend Balibo,

- but I don't like their chances.

- That's where we're headed.

We're off there.

We're going to Balibo.

The Indonesian warships

off the coast.

Choppers circling overhead,

mortar fire...

Well, did you film it?

No, we didn't have a chance.

We had to get out

of there in a hurry.

Look Shackleton, it's not worth it.

Believe me or don't believe me,

but it's just not safe there.

Well outside Balibo.

Is there anywhere else we can

film the invasion from?

Let's go, boys.

CUNNINGHAM :
Can you, ah...

Can you take this back

to Dili Airport for us?

Thanks, mate.

Sure.

Here we go.

You got your bathers on, boys?

Welcome.

Greg Shackleton. Channel 7.

How are ya?

Padre Silva.

G'day, Father.

Gary. Gary Cunningham.

- You're very welcome.

- Thanks for having us.

- Hi, Tony Stewart.

- Silva. Welcome.

Good to meet ya.

So, ah,

what's happening here, Father?

Where are these people going?

SILVA:

Refugees fleeing from the border.

And you're staying here?

How could I ever leave this?

So I hear you've got a swimming pool.

Yeah, where's that?

Ah, well it's up the back.

This way? This way! This way!

STEWART:
I'll just get the bags.

What happened to your finger?

Nothing.

Sorry, fellas.

Cheers, mate.

Welcome to Timor.

Cheers, Mal.

So, Channel 7 beat you to it.

Well not yet, mate.

Plenty of time to catch up.

Maybe you should

just stick around here for a while.

Well there's no point just

sitting around here...

filming bloody Fretilin

walking around.

Where's Shackleton?

The border?

That's where the story is.

That's where we're going.

No, but Shackleton's crazy.

He's just doing his job.

Yeah, and we can't let him

get out of there before we do.

We do have a driver Jos

said he would take us there.

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