The new feature film about the Balibo Five may stir up fresh controversy in Australia, but as far as Indonesia is concerned it's case closed. Robert Connolly's film, which depicts Indonesian troops murdering the five ustralia-based journalists in the East Timor border town of Balibo in 1975, will open the Melbourne International Film Festival on Friday. The film's release comes nearly two years after NSW deputy coroner Dorelle Pinch found Indonesian forces deliberately killed the journalists to cover up their invasion of East Timor. The inquest dismissed claims by successive Australian and Indonesian governments that Greg Shackleton, Brian Peters, Malcolm Rennie, Gary Cunningham and Tony Stewart were accidentally killed in crossfire.
The film has reignited debate about the killings and hopes it will lead to legal action against the alleged leader of the attack team, Yunus Yosfiah.
Indonesia regards the film as a work of fiction.
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