It is rare, indeed, for an Australian film to dare prick the national conscience. It is rarer still for one to do so with the power, conviction and immediacy of Balibo.

Compelling, provocative and unashamedly political, this extraordinary film offers a searing account of the 1975 invasion of East Timor by Indonesia during which five Australian TV journalists were killed.

Defying the official Australian government line that these men died in crossfire, director Robert Connolly (Three Dollars, The Bank) recreates in vivid, chilling detail how they were murdered by Indonesian forces to prevent their news footage from getting out. This sequence narrowly outranks the finale of Gallipoli (1981) as the most heart-stopping in Australian film.

Wisely, Connolly (who co-wrote the screenplay with David Williamson) honours his duty to entertain by grounding the drama as a genre piece, blending elements of the thriller with adventure and action. There's even some buddy-movie bonding as a young Jose Ramos Horta (Oscar Issac) assists ageing, hot-headed Australian journalist Roger East (Anthony LaPaglia) on his journey through the Timorese jungle to find out the fate of the "Balibo five".

The film rouses a confronting cocktail of emotions — anger, shame, sorrow, guilt, betrayal. But thanks to the excellent performances from its young cast — especially Damon Gameau as reporter Greg Shackleton — Balibo also taps into something you almost never feel with an Australian film — pride. The hunger these men have for the truth is palpable and speaks to a part of the national character the Australian government sought to deny.

There's no ambivalence with Balibo. It is intended as a back-hander to historical complacency that will simultaneously resonate with baby boomers and alert a new generation about what happened.

As one of the few local films to spotlight a key historical event, Balibo also illustrates how sorely the Australian film industry has neglected its own rhetoric about telling our national story on screen. If Australian cinema needs anything right now, it's more films like this.

***** (5 stars)

- Review by Jim Schembri for The Age

Balibo screens at the Melbourne International Film Festival on Wednesday, August 5 (7pm, Forum). It opens nationally on August 13.

Here's the Balibo trailer: