THE SHADOW OVER EAST TIMOR is a powerful documentary which brings to light the story from inside East Timor - a story which has been unfolding since December 1975 when Indonesian military forces invaded this tiny country, then on the brink of liberation from centuries of Portuguese colonialism. Not only did this invasion mean a brutal denial of the right of the people of East Timor to independence, but it also heralded the start of a bloody conflict. Since 1975, it is estimated that 200,000 East Timorese (one third of the population) have died as a result of war and starvation. This video is based on first-hand accounts of Timorese people who have witnessed and survived the near-genocide in their country. These people, now living in Australia, have placed themselves and those of their relatives still living in East Timor at great risk in speaking out. Their determination stands in stark contrast to the complicit attitude adopted by successive Australian Governments as Indonesia's occupation of East Timor continues.