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Long Road to Heaven

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Long Road to Heaven

Long Road to Heaven is a 2007 Indonesian feature film about the 2002 Bali bombings, by Kalyana Shira Films. The film was directed by Enison Sinaro and written by Wong Wai Leng and Andy Logam-Tan. It tells the story during three different times: the planning a few months before the bombing, its execution in 2002, and the trials in 2003. The story is not chronologically linear. It starts with the explosion and then moves from time to time until all three plots culminate one after the other. At the beginning of each scene, subtitles give the date and location of the scene.

The film also tries to present both the bombers' and the victims' viewpoints. According to Kalyana Shira Films:

The movie itself is trying to capture the moment from many different point of views; the terrorists, victims' families and foreigners. Though categorized as a feature film, LRTH is based on factual research where every sides are presented in balance therefor we hope that the viewers can take side on humanity and peaceful heart.

The screening of the film has been banned on the island of Bali. An official from the provincial film board said, Long Road to Heaven could "reopen old wounds". I Gusti Ngurah Gde, head of Bali's film board, said: "We fear people who do not understand it would trigger conflict and direct hatred at a certain group."

This portion of the film takes place in a hotel in Thailand, where Hambali (Saputra) is meeting with other members of Jemaah Islamiah, including Muklas. Hambali wishes to strike back for the capture of the Jemaah Islamiyah agents in Singapore, where an attempted bombing was stopped. He also wishes to make a statement by carrying out the next attack in September, when remembrance for the September 11th, 2001 World Trade Center Attacks will be at its highest. Muklas presses Hambali to change to another, softer location because security in Singapore will be too tight for any plans to succeed, and they will be unable to make the attacks by September if they are to happen in Singapore. He also suggests Bali for the location of the bombing. After the idea is put to a vote, the bombing is approved for Bali.

In Bali, Imam Samudra, as well as Amrozi and his brother Ali Imron begin making preparations for the attack. They pick Paddy's Pub and the Sari Club as the best targets for bombing because they will minimize Indonesian casualties since both cater exclusively to foreigners. The brothers then contact a bombmaker and request that he make a special bomb which will maximize casualties. The day before the attack, the garage where they are building the bombs is visited by police following noise complaints. Ali Imron manages to stall the police, giving the bombmaker time to hide any incriminating evidence. After the police leave, Amrozi congratulates his brother for his quick thinking.

The next day, Amrozi, Imron, and the person who will activate the bomb park outside the Sari Club and wait for the backpack bomb to explode. Imron shows doubt about what they are doing, but in the end, does not stop the bombing. Amrozi and Imron leave, and everything goes as planned.

Across the city, Hannah Catrelle (Foulkes) is awakened by the explosion. She rushes out to the site on her motorcycle, and is asked to bring an injured man to the hospital, where he later dies of his wounds. Catrelle is asked to bring the body to the morgue, where she sees a scorched corpse wearing a necklace similar to hers. She returns to the site and helps Hajj Ismail (Pandelaki) co-ordinate the rescue efforts. She is approached by Tim Dawson (O'Hare), who asks her if she has seen his daughter, and shows her a picture. Catrelle recognizes the necklace, and says that she thinks that Dawson's daughter is in the morgue. She leads him to the body, but Dawson says that it is not his daughter. Catrelle shows him the necklace that the corpse is wearing, and Dawson collapses in grief.

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