Answered by Fire

This brilliant movie is so timely! Our hearts go out to the people of East Timor who are yet again going through what "Answered by Fire" brought to light. The acting was sensitive and superb by all participants. The action particularly the scenes when people were trying to scale the barbed wire on top of the walls was handled far better than so many similar American productions. We don't always need graphic blood and guts technicolour with loud noise to convey the horror of a scene. The silence can be chilling and tends to zoom the mind into focus on the reality. The acting of the Timorese people was so real that we felt a bond develop and our thoughts are even more with them now in their present predicament. It is our opinion that this film deserves wider showing and yet again we hope that our very fine Australian Film Industry gets recognition for the excellence of their productions. The down-to-earth genuine presentation of stories in our films cannot be rivalled by so many of the American films that are punched out and fed to us over here. No need for heaps of trick lighting with venetian blinds, much filming in the dark and close-ups of talking heads and meaningful looks. Give us a sensitive Aussie male like Wenham anyday. About the title, as we aren't aware if the film was taken from a book or written especially for TV. Could you please explain how the writer came up with the name Answered by Fire. There are many explanations we can come up with, but would like to know the answer to this question. One more comment we would like to make is how well the two different worlds of culture were portrayed with the "back at home" scenes. We spent 3 years as Missionaries in Bulgaria 10 years ago and experienced reverse culture shock upon re-entry. A heart that is left behind with other people you have loved takes time to heal...you are never the same again. We have been suitably stirred by this great film and feel a love for the people of East Timor as a result. Go Aussie films!!!!

I've only seen Answered By Fire once. I need to see it again before I can hope to view it critically and dispassionately, and my perceptions of it right now are severely influenced by the knowledge that as I write there are tens of thousands of people crowding refugee camps around Dili in what threatens to be some sort of repeat of the appalling events this production portrays a small glimpse of.

What impressed me were the realism of it, the humanity and inhumanity within us all, and I am frankly surprised that the political thought police allowed some of what is said, and much of what is implied, to get out onto Australian national television.

The acting - by the professionals and the recruited Timorese from the community now in Australia alike - was totally believable and transparent. The sets, in Queensland, are well done (I understand the Timorese in the cast sometimes found it hard to believe they weren't back home). The violence of the situation is communicated without being in-your-face or graphic. There's just enough "human-interest" to prevent it being a political essay or docu-drama, but not so much that it risks becoming mawkish.

My only regret, entirely selfish, but the reason I awarded it 'only' 9 out of a possible 10 stars, is that its length (and presumably available budget) prevented some of the themes touched on / alluded to being explored in greater depth: I wanted more!

I was genuinely affected by this production. If there is any way you can arrange to see Answered By Fire, do so.

i was wondering if anyone out there could help me? i worked on this movie in 2004 as the animal wrangler up on tambourine mt Queensland it was beautiful. i had the Buffalo the fighting cock the chickens and the goat it was an amazing experience but i am now back in the UK and would dearly love to see my animals in the movie anyone know how i can get a copy? i'm not in the credits as i was just standing in for Fiona Willis. i met David Wenham who was nice and i got to stand in the background of his arm wrestle scene and the gun shot car scene i really want to see this film please please please help! also check out George of the jungle 2 as bill the Buffalo is in that too!! xx

The production and direction of this mini is brilliant.

The casting of Wenham as the Aussie cop Mark Waldman was captivating. Wenham led the cast in recreating the heroism of individuals trying to protect the Timorese during a vote that was flawed from the beginning.

On many occasions we cried as we watched " Answered by Fire" and recalled what happened in Timor in 1999.

Why was this so good, because it showed it was. The characters,the script and in particular the roles played by the local Timorese. These people gave stellar gut wrenching performances as they were often recreating the actual events in their own lives during the 1999 vote. This mini appropriately depicts in a captivating mesmerising way, the tragedy and sheer neglect that was the U.N monitored vote in East Timor.

Both the U.N and The Australia Government knew what was likely to occur, yet they sent poorly armed and defended civilian police and staff to East Timor to arrange and supervise the vote. They encouraged the terrified civilians to vote knowing the blood bath that would accompany a yes vote. The U.N told the Timorese that the international community would remain after the vote, yet when things got ugly, when the murdering of the Timorese by the TNI and the local militia began, the U.N packed and ran like cowards. As a result many brave Timorese who voted yes were slaughtered, and still those Indonesians guilty of crimes against humanity sit in Jakarta untouched by the International Community After Rwanda the U.N said never again.

Thanks to this program we will not forget how useless Annan and the U.N were and still are in protecting the weak from the strong.

So thank you "Answered by Fire" for bringing these tragic happenings in Timor to the screen so that many people around the world to see and never forget them.