Alias Ruby Blade

After a plethora of advertisements for ethical super and bank companies, the opening film of the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, Alias Ruby Blade begins. The documentary, in its Australian premiere, combines archival footage and stylised re-enactments to tell the story of Kristy Sword Gusmão, activist, documentary filmmaker and mother of a nation. The documentary, expertly edited and shot by Alex Meillier, takes the audience through Sword Gusmão's integral involvement in the Timor-Leste independence struggle. The audience is introduced to Sword Gusmão's life through her development as a budding activist in Melbourne, her integral involvement in the Timor-Leste independence movement in both Australia and Indonesia, and finally the development of her relationship with former rebel leader and current Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão. Through interviews with key players and the expert use of archival footage, the documentary provides context to the independence struggle and delicately combines many concurrent storylines to tell a saga bursting with intrigue, love and adversity. The filmmakers deserve recognition for presenting a film that is at times incredibly disturbing but never to the point that all one can do is switch off. Alias Ruby Blade is a fantastic and confronting film, well worth checking out at its encore screening at ACMI on Sunday 2 June.

Human Rights Arts and Film Festival to Thursday 23 May