Sunday Herald Sun

October 14, 2007

Balibo role?

By FIONA BYRNE

IS acclaimed actor David Wenham getting ready to work again with leading Australian director Robert Connolly?

They were seen deep in conversation at the opening night party for the Melbourne International Arts Festival at Melbourne Town Hall on Thursday.

Connolly has directed Wenham in two films -- The Bank and Three Dollars.

Connolly is now developing a new project, Balibo, which will tell the story of the five television newsmen -- Greg Shackleton, Tony Stewart, Malcolm Rennie, Gary Cunningham and Brian Peters -- who were shot dead by the Indonesian military in East Timor in 1975.

Without A Trace star Anthony LaPaglia will headline the cast.

Connolly would not be drawn on the prospect of working with Wenham on the Balibo film, though he said there had been plenty of interest from Australian actors to play the roles of the five journalists.

Part of the film will be shot in Victoria, with filming also taking place in East Timor and possibly Darwin.