''Brothers'' is a 1982 Australian drama

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

directed by

Terry Bourke Terry Christopher Bourke (19 April 1940 – 29 June 2002) was an Australian journalist, screenwriter, producer and director. He worked as a show business journalist and production assistant in Hong Kong for a number of years before returning t ...

. It includes a re-enactment of the 1975 murder of the

Balibo Five The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian commercial television networks who were murdered in the period leading up to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. The Balibo Five were based in the town of Balibo in East Timor (then ...

in East Timor.David Stratton, ''The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry'', Pan MacMillan, 1990 p136-137

Production

The script was based on a novel ''Reflex'' by Australian actor and writer

Roger Ward Roger Ward (born 1936) is an Australian actor who has had a considerable career in film and television, noted for "tough guy" roles in which he often did his own stunts. Biography Ward was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1936. His car ...

. It was about a photojournalist in Vietnam inspired by Sean Flynn. Ward almost got up a film based on the novel in the early 70s with Jack Thompson in the lead but it did not happen. Ward spent the next few years trying to set up the film elsewhere and eventually sold it to Terry Bourke, who rewrote Ward's script extensively.'Roger Ward Guest Post: The History of "Brothers" ', ''The Death Rattle'', 22 November 2011
Retrieved 11 October 2012 The movie was shot in the Philippines, Taihape and Narrabeen.Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p20-21

Cast

Chard Hayward Chard Hayward, born Roy Hayward, (born 1949) credited also as Chard Heywood, is a Welsh-born Australian-American television actor, director and producer, he is best known for his long-running role of camp barman Dudley Butterfield in the 1970s te ...

as Adam Wild *

Ivar Kants Ivar Kants (born 19 July 1949) (commonly credited as ''Ivor'' Kants or Ivar Kanz) is an Australian actor of Latvian descent who has played numerous roles in soap operas including ''A Country Practice'', '' G.P.'', '' All Saints'', '' Water Rats ...

as Kevin Wild *

Margaret Laurence Jean Margaret Laurence (née Wemyss; July 18, 1926 – January 5, 1987) was a Canadian novelist and short story writer, and is one of the major figures in Canadian literature. She was also a founder of the Writers' Trust of Canada, a non-pr ...

as Lani Aveson *Jennifer Cluff as Alison Lewis *

Alyson Best Alyson Best (born September 29, 1960) is an Australian actress known for her appearance in ''Prisoner'' (1983) and '' Man of Flowers'' (1983). In 1979 she appeared in a famous photo with Derryn Hinch in ''Playboy''. Select Credits *''Young Ram ...

as Jenine Williams * Joan Bruce as Mrs Williams *Les Foxcroft as Jim Williams * James Elliott as Rev. Maynard

Release

The film was not released in Australian cinemas but was screened on television. Roger Ward is trying to get funding for a new version of his novel.

References

External links

* 1982 films Films based on Australian novels Films set in East Timor Films shot in Sydney Films shot in the Philippines 1980s English-language films Australian drama television films Films directed by Terry Bourke 1980s Australian films {{1980s-Australia-film-stub