Balibo picks up the story with Roger East (Anthony La Paglia), a middle-aged journalist in Darwin who seemingly once led a more intrepid investigative life. He is approached by Jose Ramos-Horta, the then Foreign Minister for the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor, to head up the media office in Ramos-Horta's home country and to tell the story of the Timorese people to the world. It is only when Ramos-Horta informs East of five missing Australian journalists that he agrees to go, and so begins East's own investigation of their fate. Interwoven with flashbacks to the Balibo Five's own experiences, and recreations of period news footage, Balibo creates an authentic and compelling version of events.

Based on the book Cover-Up by Jill Joliffe, an Australian journalist who apparently met the group just prior to their deaths, the film takes a more cautious approach to the narrative. Where Joliffe was met with criticism from those who felt that she unfairly portrayed the campaigners for justice, the film holds the investigation by Roger East as its chief storyline. By doing so, audiences can witness the atrocities in East Timor for themselves. Complaints have emerged about the film Balibo due to its own downplaying of the Australian government's cover up of the killings, and it is no surprise to learn that this film was banned in Indonesia. This is a valid complaint, as the Australian government appears to be just as complicit in the knowledge of the violence and its inaction as those forces that perpetrated the violence in the first place. References are made in the film to this, but the chief narrative is about the investigation. This is perhaps the greatest strength of the film, rather than the perceived weakness some circles make it out to be. By allowing audiences to draw their own conclusions about the level of knowledge of the Australian government, it leaves us questioning the motives of governments on both sides of the divide and rallies people on all sides for justice.

One of the real tragedies of the tale is that it took so many deaths for East Timor to finally realise its independence. Indeed, it seems somewhat typical of the Australian mentality that it was five white journalists that had to die and have a film made about them for the Australian government and its people to demand justice. On 9 September 2009, less than two months after the film's premiere at the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Australian Federal Police announced that they would launch a war crimes probe into the deaths of the Balibo Five. Despite East Timorese Independence, and Ramos-Horta's triumphant return to his home as a leader (and the occasional disagreement over immigration Australia has with the Indonesian government) some crimes have still gone unpunished. The official Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says the following about Indonesia: "Australia and Indonesia are close neighbours, with a highly productive relationship that ranges across political, security, commercial, cultural and people-to-people links. The strength of the relationship can be seen in the depth and breadth of high level exchanges between leaders, ministers and prominent people of both countries". It seems that some interests may always be stronger than the cry to justice.

One of the real gems on this set is Greg Shackleton's Original Reportage (18:45). At just shy of 20 minutes, the surviving archival footage of Australia's 7 News is raw and all the more powerful given that we know the fate of Shackleton shortly after the reports were given. It also gives additional authenticity to the film, as Balibo has lifted these scenes down to their very last detail. Worth the price of the disc alone. The six contextual Documentaries (49:30) that are also found on this disc add to this authenticity, by not only placing the film in its real-world context but by also giving viewers an insight into how much detail the filmmakers went into. 

A nice touch for students and teachers is the inclusion of a Study Guide.

This film is also available on DVD, although this Blu-ray offers no exclusive features.

Every day, atrocities go on around the world that continue to go unnoticed due to oppressive regimes and indifferent governments everywhere. Indeed, in 2009 alone over 70 journalists were killed around the world, including a shocking massacre in the Philippines. It is only because of dedicated activists and films such as this that the general public gets a sense of just how much wrong there is in the world, and what we can do to start making it right. A must-see film for anybody that dares to call themselves human.