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JAKARTA: Now showing, a new Indonesian movie that
explores the horrific 2002 Bali bombings from the viewpoints of both
victims and bombers.
Long Road to Heaven, produced by
acclaimed Indonesian filmmaker Nia Dinata, is the first feature film
to examine the 2002 Bali bombings, one of the worst terrorist
attacks since the September 11, 2001, devastation in the United
States.
The October 12, 2002, bombings of
nightclubs on the resort island of Bali killed 202 people, mostly
foreign tourists, and put Indonesia in the spotlight of the “war
on terror.”
The film tackles the subject
through the eyes of several characters.
They include an American surfer
trying to find peace after her fiancé died in the September 11
attacks, a Balinese taxi driver who lost a relative in the bombings
and an Australian journalist who visits the island seven months
later.
The film also explores the
motivations and actions of the terrorists who planned and carried
out the attacks on the previously tranquil island.
“The issue is very intriguing
and it happens in Bali, a place where we imagine when we think of
peace,” Dinata told AFP.
Director Enison Sinaro said the
film “tries to portray the human side, both from the perpetrators
and the victims.”
The subject remains a painful and
delicate issue in Indonesia.
In December, the government
banned a Dutch documentary because it shows statements by one of the
bombers, who is on death row.
“It depends on the viewers …
I just hope people won’t judge the film before watching it,”
Sinaro told AFP when asked whether he was worried about public
reaction to the controversial issues in the film.
“This is a historical event, we
are just trying to depict it as closely as possible to the truth,”
he said.
Sinaro said they carried out
extensive research and received information from the Indonesian
authorities.
“The team had gone through
rigorous research before we made the film, I watched interviews with
the accused Bali bombers and read books on terrorism,” said Sinaro.
Samudra and his comrades Amrozi
and Ali Ghufron face the firing squad over their role in the
bombings.
None of the three has expressed
remorse over the attacks, which were blamed on the al-Qaeda-linked
Jemaah Islamiah terrorist network.
The 120-minute drama was shot in
Jakarta and on the island of Lombok, which neighbors Bali.
“Originally we wanted to shoot
the film in Bali, but the local government advised us against it,”
Sinaro explained.
“The Balinese are still
traumatized by what happened, what will they feel when they see us
reconstruct what happened?”
Some early filmgoers said the
movie did not answer their questions about the bombings, while
others wondered whether enough time had lapsed since the attacks.
“I want to know what really
happened, what I learned from the media does not explain enough,”
said Andri, after watching an afternoon screening.
“I am not satisfied, there are
many questions still unanswered,” he said.
“I know this is a fictional
film but if they are brave enough to take on this theme, and it is a
global theme, they should be honest about it,” he said, querying
the portrayal of one of the bombers.
“It is too early to be made
into a film, they need deeper research.”
Civil servant Eka said he was
disappointed as he hoped to learn more about the actual events.
“Even if this is fiction, it is
made for the victims of the Bali bombing. It should be able to tell
us what really happened.” 
--AFP
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