In association with the film company an ager meillier film

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE FILM COMPANY

AN AGER MEILLIER FILM
ALIAS RUBY BLADE
78 MIN. (USA/AUSTRALIA)


PRESS & SCREENING CONTACT
TANYA AGER MEILLIER, PRODUCER

AGER MEILLIER FILMS INC.

265 CANAL STREET SUITE 213

NEW YORK, NY 10013 USA

+1 212 2261603

+1 917 6783423

studio@ager-meillier.com

http://www.aliasrubyblade.com

“It was the courage of the Timorese that inspired me to have courage. That is what has driven me throughout my journey and that is what continues to inspire me today.”

• 
  Kirsty Sword Gusmão
  

SECTION 1: FILM INFORMATION

DIRECTOR & PRODUCERS STATEMENT 7

PRESS 8
SECTION 2: SUBJECT BIOGRAPHY
KIRSTY SWORD GUSMÃO 11

PRESS: THE WEEKLY REVIEW 13

PRESS: THE AGE 14

PRESS: THE DAILY TELEGRAPH 15

PRODUCER TANYA AGER MEILLIER 17

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ABIGAIL DISNEY 18

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER GINI RETICKER 18

PRODUCER RICHARD KEDDIE 19

COMPOSER PAUL BRILL 20

CINEMATOGRAPHER SHANE SIGLER 20
SECTION 4: CAST BIOGRAPHIES
XANANA GUSMÃO 21

JOSÈ RAMOS-HORTA 22

CONSTANCIO PINTO 22

NALDO REI 22

GEOFFREY ROBINSON 22

PAT WALSH 23

One courageous woman’s journey from undercover agent to First Lady and the untold story of the birth of a new nation.

Filming her journey, not knowing what, if anything, would ever become of the footage, Kirsty recorded key events in her life which have become watershed moments in the Independence struggle of the Timorese. Given unprecedented access, the producers of Alias Ruby Blade have obtained this footage along with intimate interviews with the key players in the resistance struggle. The result is a behind-the-scenes look in to one of the most dramatic events of the 21^st Century: the birth and formation of a new nation in Timor-Leste after nearly 30 years of struggle.

In 1991 at the age of twenty-four, Kirsty joined an English film crew that traveled to East Timor disguised as tourists with amateur video equipment. Their goal was to document the conditions of the Indonesian occupation and defy the media blackout that had gripped the territory since the Indonesian invasion in 1975.

But what was supposed to be an interesting socio-political documentary portrait turned in to a watershed moment in the independence struggle when Indonesian troops opened fire on the crowd. Hundreds of innocent protesters were massacred - many of them teenagers. The broadcast of the resulting documentary, COLD BLOOD: THE MASSACRE OF EAST TIMOR¹, caused loud cries of condemnation around the world and set in motion events that would radically alter the destiny of the Timorese.

For Kirsty, having personally known many of the victims, there was no turning back. Moving to Jakarta, Kirsty immersed herself in the shadowy world of Indonesian pro-democracy activists and Timorese dissidents. She was recruited by the exiled foreign minister José Ramos-Horta (Nobel Peace Prize laureate) to become a courier and adopted the nom de guerre Ruby Blade. Her task was to shuttle correspondence in and out of the notorious Cipinang Prison in Jakarta, where the enigmatic Timorese resistance leader, Xanana Gusmão, was serving a life sentence for his revolutionary activities.

Kirsty became a critical link - enabling Xanana to remain in control of the resistance. Starting with notes smuggled out in the bottom of a shoe and then a video camera², a laptop computer, and finally a mobile phone, the communication between Kirsty and Xanana became more intimate. Through correspondence, they fell in love. In nearly eight years, they met in person only once.

When the Timorese voted overwhelmingly for Independence in a historic referendum for Independence, pro-Indonesian militias ran amok throughout the entire territory burning, looting and raping until over half of the population became internally displaced persons. When Kirsty and Xanana finally were able to return to East Timor, they found a country reduced to ashes. Kirsty herself filmed the throngs of civilians, thousands strong, cheering the triumphant return of their beloved leader and yearning for a new beginning.

Alias Ruby Blade captures this incredible story from Kirsty’s humble beginnings in Australia through the ultimate triumph of the Timorese, culminating with the swearing in of Xanana Gusmão as the nation’s first president. The birth of their first son, Alexandre, in a free and independent East Timor became a symbol of the birth of the nation.

Today, Kirsty remains a tireless advocate of the Timorese. In addition to travelling abroad as Ambassador of Education, the head of her UNESCO chapter and to raise funds for The Alola Foundation, which she founded to improve the health and welfare of women and children in Timor-Leste, Kirsty is the mother of three small boys with Xanana (now Prime Minister). Despite an assassination attempt on her husband in 2008 and ongoing threats, Kirsty continues to live in Dili and insists on driving her boys to school herself each morning unaccompanied by security - to set an example.

A powerful testament to the human capacity for hope to overcome fear, Alias Ruby Blade demonstrates that ordinary individuals, armed with little more than moral courage, can solve seemingly intractable violent conflicts. They have, in fact, the power to change the course of history.

STYLE & APPROACH

Kirsty began filming the key events of her life on Hi-8 video tape from her first visit to East Timor in 1990. Her archive also contains the video “letters” between her and Xanana and tape from her time as an operative in Jakarta all the way up to her return with Xanana to the country devastated by the 1999 violence. Much of this video footage has never been seen before.

In addition to Kirsty’s hi-8 footage composing the flashback sequences and our HD footage of the present day, special scenes have been shot on 16mm color reversal film stock meant to portray the story of Kirsty’s alter ego Ruby Blade. These cinematic sequences are woven seamlessly in to the arc in the story, shot from angles designed never to reveal Kirsty’s face, and to heighten the suspense, all in frenetic close-ups. We see glimpses of this footage starting from Kirsty’s first visit to East Timor in 1990 and this film-within-a-film climaxes when Kirsty’s identity is revealed and she is forced to flee the country for fear of the Indonesian Secret Police in 1996.

Kirsty herself is the primary narrator of Alias Ruby Blade. As her personal story evolves throughout the film, other characters are introduced in meticulously researched archival material and add their voices to the story, telling what they they witnessed and experienced. Amongst a host of the key actors in the resistance struggle both International and Timorese, the current President of Timor-Leste, Nobel Laureate José Ramos-Horta appears in a surprisingly candid two-part interview.

Through their collective voices, we learn how the struggle for independence transformed from an armed struggle into an international movement that used the media, diplomacy, non-violent action and the language of human rights to fight for Independence - a lesson that is more relevant than ever before in the world today.

FILMMAKERS STATEMENT


Tanya Ager Meillier, Kirsty Sword Gusmão, Alex Meillier
In 2005 we were stationed in Timor-Leste as a documentary crew for the United Nations and traveled widely around the country. During that time we interviewed former resistance leaders, senior UN officials and scores of ordinary Timorese. Coming back to the United States, it was clearer to us more than ever before how little is understood about the birth of the world’s newest nation in Timor-Leste.

We then came across the autobiography of Kirsty Sword Gusmão, “A Woman of Independence”. Part love story, part thriller, Kirsty’s story cuts through the heart of the events that led to the triumph of democracy in Timor-Leste.

In her book she describes in several passages filming key moments. When we reached out to her she informed us that she aspired to be a documentary filmmaker, though she never knew what she would do with the footage, and that it was packed in a box somewhere in her archive… We immediately hatched a plan to develop her story in to a documentary film and booked our flights back to Dili.

When we first met with Kirsty in her office at the Alola Foundation in Dili to discuss making Alias Ruby Blade, Kirsty quizzed us as to our motivation for wanting to tell her story. We replied that the film would be inspirational to people around the world that strive for a better future for their children. She told us that when people call her a hero it makes her uncomfortable. Because after all, wouldn’t anyone do what she did in the same circumstances?

We decided right there that our goal would be to make our audience ask themselves exactly that question.

By elevating the profile of Kirsty and her work, and spotlighting the unprecedented challenges still remaining in the peace building effort, we believe we can shine a light on the courageous story of the Timorese and support them in their new struggle against endemic poverty.

• 
  Alex Meillier & Tanya Ager Meillier
  

“Independence Restoration Day in Timor-Leste is marked today by a photo gallery in Life Magazine profiling Kirsty Sword Gusmao, the former first lady of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, and a woman whose involvement in the East Timorese resistance is the subject of an upcoming documentary, Alias Ruby Blade.“

“IFP Lab fills in documentary lab. Ten films have been tapped for the docu branch of the program…including “Alias Ruby Blade” Alex Meillier’s look at the former first lady of East Timor.”

“Tribeca Film Institute Awards 2012 Gucci Tribeca Documentary Grants to eight new projects….The Spotlighting Women Awards highlights the courage and strength of women around the world including….the role of one woman in establishing Timor-Leste as an independent nation.”

“Alias Ruby Blade” Here’s a story of brave adventure, a nations struggle for independence, espionage and falling in love with a rebel leader. Her incredible story needs no dramatization or spicing up. It is now being made into a film by director Alex Meillier.”

Alola’s Programs have expanded rapidly since it’s founding.

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  The Education Program has been able to provide scholarships for young people of needy families, encouraging their continuance of schooling. The Friendships Schools Project links primary and secondary schools in Australia with schools in East Timor.
  

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  The Maternal and Child Health program works to help contribute to a reduction in the maternal and child mortality rates by promoting good health for women and their communities. Throughout the crisis the MCH team has been very active giving help to new mothers through the distribution of Maternity Packs and through breast feeding promotion and education activities.
  

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  The Women’s Resource Centre staff provides resources, information and referral services to women and their families, particularly in the areas of domestic violence, maternal and child health and accessing humanitarian assistance.
  

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  The Economic Empowerment program has been fostering the handcrafts industry and international marketing of traditional tais (weaving) and tais products.
  

It is often difficult to measure the social impact of a documentary film. But in our case, by shining a light on the remarkable journey of Kirsty Sword Gusmão, we can elevate her profile as a distinguished humanitarian which will in turn aid her in her important work boosting education and maternal health in Timor-Leste. This film will also highlight the ongoing need for international support for the courageous people of Timor-Leste in their new struggle to eradicate extreme poverty and to continue to inspire the world as a beacon of hope for people everywhere struggling for freedom.

Director Alex Meillier

Alex Meillier's diverse range of crew credits and experiences make him uniquely positioned to realise the potential of Alias Ruby Blade, which will become his feature film directorial debut.

Along with his wife and artistic collaborator, Tanya Ager Meillier, Alex was Producer and Director of Photography for the film Obscene which premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. As a film editor his work can be seen in Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story and the ultra-indie documentary Beijing Punk, currently making the festival rounds. Alex has directed numerous short films including the acclaimed poetry-on-film project Whatever I Was Thinking Of, a collaboration with the renowned spoken word poet Bob Holman.

In his work as a documentary filmmaker Alex has traveled extensively around Southeast Asia. Working for the United Nations, Alex first came to East Timor in 2005 to shoot and report stories from the field for UNTV. Based in Banda Aceh, Indonesia in 2006, Alex traveled throughout Sumatra for the United Nations Development Programme chronicling the unprecedented international response to the Boxing Day Tsunami, which devastated the region.

Alex's production company has taken on a diverse range of projects including producing over fifty unique short films from around the world for The Action Center to End World Hunger, an interactive exhibition in Lower Manhattan sponsored by Mercy Corps and American Express, and producing and directing the video content for the award winning website JFK50, dedicated to the legacy of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and sponsored by the JFK Library and Foundation.

Alex is a graduate with honors of New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota he now resides in the historic Brooklyn, New York neighborhood of Fort Greene where he enjoys reading Walt Whitman and growing tomatoes on the terrace.

Producer Tanya Ager Meillier

Tanya Ager Meillier was born in Manchester U.K. of mixed Chinese and English descent. Often in tow of her mum, she spent much of her childhood traveling the world and developed a lifelong passion for immersing herself in foreign cultures. This curiosity about the world grew organically into a career as a documentary filmmaker.

With her husband Alex Meillier, Tanya produced and edited the film Obscene which premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival where it was praised for its vibrant editorial style in the publication “Variety” and elsewhere.

Also as an editor, her work can be seen recently on the Sundance Channel in seasons 1 & 2 of the short film series Beginnings as well as in Michael Moore's latest magnum opus Capitalism: A Love Story.

In addition to Obscene, Tanya produced over fifty unique short films for the Action Center to End World Hunger - a unique interactive exhibit space in Lower Manhattan commissioned by Mercy Corps and American Express. She was also post-production supervisor for the films Which Way Home and Beijing Punk.

In 2005 Tanya traveled to East Timor to produce and edit the film Kbiit (Timorese for "Courage") which chronicled the evolution of the UN Mission in East Timor and the effort to build a democracy from the rubble that remained after the 1999 violence. This experience left an indelible mark on Tanya and she has sought ever since to advance the cause of the Timorese to the forefront of public discourse and to aid them in their new struggle against endemic poverty.

She currently resides with her husband in Brooklyn, New York.

Executive Producer Abigail E. Disney

Abigail E. Disney is a filmmaker and philanthropist. Her longtime passion for women’s issues and peacebuilding culminated in her first film, the acclaimed Pray the Devil Back to Hell, about the Liberian women who peacefully ended their country’s fourteen-year civil war. She is currently Executive Producer of the groundbreaking PBS mini-series Women, War & Peace, the most comprehensive global media initiative ever mounted on the role of women in peace and conflict. 



Along with her husband, Pierre Hauser, Abigail co-founded the Daphne Foundation, which works with low-income communities in the five boroughs of New York City. Her work in philanthropy, women’s engagement and leadership, and conflict resolution has been recognized through the Epic Award from the White House Project, the Changing the Landscape for Women Award from the Center for the Advancement of Women, and the prestigious International Advocate for Peace (IAP) Award from the Cardozo Law School’s Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution. In addition, Abigail holds degrees from Yale, Stanford, and Columbia. She lives in New York City with her husband and four children. 


Executive Producer Gini Reticker

Producer Richard Keddie, The Film Company (Melbourne, Australia)

CURTIN (William McInnes and Noni Hazlehurst), which won the 2008 Logie for Best Television Drama, and was nominated for the prestigious Rockie Award, at the Banff TV Festival. MY BROTHER JACK (Jack Thompson & William McInnes), winner of an Australian Film Institute (AFI) Award for Best TV Mini-Series. AFTER THE DELUGE (Rachel Griffiths, Hugo Weaving and David Wenham) - winner of the AFI Award and TV Week Logie for Best TV Mini-Series. And WAITING AT THE ROYAL - which won the Rockie Award at Banff TV Festival for Best Telemovie. Richard also produced the feature MATCHING JACK (directed by Nadia Tass, with James Nesbitt, Jacinda Barrett and Richard Roxburgh), which won Best Film at the 2011 Milan Film Festival.

Paul Brill's compositions for numerous award-winning films, TV series, NPR program themes, and several acclaimed CDs of original and innovative songwriting show that youthful adventures as an herbal smokes salesman, street performer, valet, corporate errand boy, and a marine biology instructor can serve the creative spirit well.



Paul has received 3 Emmy Award nominations for his original scores for the films, "The Devil Came on Horseback" (Break Thru Films), "Full Battle Rattle" (National Geographic) and "The Trials of Darryl Hunt" (HBO). Young American Recordings recently released the Hunt soundtrack, curated by Brill, featuring selections from his score and contributions by Andrew Bird, M. Ward, Dead Prez, Califone, and Mark Kozelek among many others. Paul recently won the 2011 Best Music Award from the International Documentary Association for his score for the film, "Better this World."



Brill recently scored the HBO film, "Burma Soldier," on which he collaborated with Rock legends U2 - composing a new string arrangement for an acoustic version of their classic hit, "Walk On." He scored the hit documentary, "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" (IFC), as well as Christy Turlington Burns' directorial debut, "No Woman, No Cry," on which he collaborated with songwriter Martha Wainwright, and the film adaptation of the best-selling book, "Freakonomics" (Magnolia Pictures).

Cinematographer Shane Sigler


Alex Meillier (left) and Shane Sigler in Jakarta
Shane Sigler is an accomplished cinematographer working in documentaries, feature films, commercials, and music videos. In addition to Alias Ruby Blade, his feature credits include Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story, Bruce Weber’s A Letter to True, Paul Morrissey’s News From Nowhere, and HBO’s Lady Gaga film.

Commercial clients include Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Christian Dior, Levi’s, UPS, IBM, Pringle of Scotland, Johnson and Johnson, Abercrombie and Fitch, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach, Calvin Klein, Bloomingdales, Planned Parenthood, and the New York Times. Shane’s music video credits include Lady Gaga, Eliza Doolittle, and Lissy Trullie.

Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão was born on June 20, 1946 in Manatuto, East Timor. He was raised in the country, with a brother and five sisters. His father was a schoolteacher.

It was in 1974 that a coup in Portugal resulted in the decolonization for Portuguese Timor. Gusmão became deeply involved with the political group FRETILIN. On 28 November 1975, Fretilin declared the independence of Portuguese Timor as "The Democratic Republic of East Timor", and Gusmão was responsible for filming the ceremony. Nine days later, Indonesia invaded East Timor. At the time Gusmão was visiting friends outside of Dili and he witnessed the invasion from the hills.

Gusmão became heavily involved in resistance activities. He was largely responsible for the level of organization that evolved in the resistance, which ultimately led to its success. By the mid-1980s, he was a major leader. As a result of his high profile, Gusmão became a prime target of the Indonesian government. A campaign for his capture was finally successful in November 1992. In May 1993, Gusmão was tried, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Indonesian government. Although not released until late 1999, Gusmão successfully led the resistance from within prison. On 30 August 1999, a referendum was held in East Timor and an overwhelming majority voted for independence. Elections were held in late 2001 and Gusmão and was elected leader. As a result he became the first President of East Timor when it became formally independent on 20 May 2002.

Gusmão has been the recipient of many awards and prizes including:

1995: Honorary Citizen of Brasília, Brazil
1998: Order of Freedom, Portugal
1998: Honorary Citizen of São Paulo, Brazil
1999: European Parliament Sakharov Prize
2000: Order of Merit, New Zealand
2000: Honorary Citizen of Lisbon, Portugal (awarded the Gold Key of Lisbon City)

2000: Kwangju (South Korea) Peace Prize
2000: Sydney Peace Prize
2000: Medal of the Vice-Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil
2000: Honorary Doctorate, University of Oporto, Portugal

2002: Grande Colar da Ordem do Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil

2002: UNESCO Félix Houphouët-Boigny Peace Prize

2003: International Herald Tribune “Leadership with Integrity” Award
2003: BusinessWeek "Stars of Asia" Award

2003: 2003 Path to Peace Award, Path to Peace Foundation
2003: Honorary Knighthood of the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael & St. George
2004: Honorary Law Doctorate Degree, Suncheon National University, Korea

2006: Grande Colar da Ordem de Dom Infante, Portugal
2006: Honorary Philosophy Doctorate Degree, University of Takushoku, Japan

Josè Ramos-Horta

Josè was born in East Timor to a Timorese mother and Portuguese Father. He was a founder and member of the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor. In 1975 he was on his way to the United Nations in New York when Indonesia invaded East Timor. From that time until the referendum he served as the exiled foreign minister, roaming the world advocating support for the East Timorese quest for independence. In 1996 he was the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to bring a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

Awards

2001 - Hollywood Film Festival Humanitarian Award
2000 - Gold Medal of the President of Italy
1999 - First Hague Peace Appeal Award
1998 - Gold Medal of the University of Coimbra
1998 -The Gran Cross of the Order of Freedom, President of Portugal
1997 - Medal of the University of San Francisco
1996 - Nobel Peace Prize, Oslo
1996 - First UNPO Freedom Prize, The Hague
1995 - International Peace Activist Award, Gleitsman Foundation, CA
1993 - Professor Thorof Rafto Human Rights Award, Bergen.

Constancio Pinto

Pinto was 8 years old when the Indonesians invaded. By the age of 11 he was hiding in the mountains as a resistance fighter. He eventually relocated into Dili, the capital and became a leader of the clandestine movement. As a result he became the second most wanted man after Xanana by the Indonesian army. He was forced to flee soon after the Santa Cruz massacre and came to the United States to continue the struggle through diplomacy. He has served as the Ambassador to the United States of America and is now Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was the author of the book “East Timor’s Unfinished Struggle”.

At the age of 9 Naldo was captured and tortured by the Indonesian army and so began his life as a resistance fighter. After fleeing for Jakarta, Naldo worked closely with Kirsty before eventually seeking refuge in Australia. He is the author of the book “Resistance: A Childhood fighting for East Timor”.

Geoffrey is a historian and human rights activists currently serving as the head of the history department at UCLA. He is the author of many books and monographs covering conflicts in South East Asia. After serving as a political advisor to the United Nations during the referendum he wrote a personal account of his experiences in the book “If You Leave Us Here, We Will Die: How Genocide was Stopped in East Timor”.

Pat was deeply involved in the efforts of the Timorese struggle and was editor of the magazine “Inside Indonesia” which was highly critical of the Indonesian dictatorship at the time. After the historic referendum and the ensuing chaos, Pat became the senior advisor to CAVR and was instrumental in the publication of CHEGA!, the truth seeking report of over 2500 pages which chronicles the human rights violations committed during the occupation of Timor-Leste.