Antony de Malmanche
Scenes of a peaceful Victoria Avenue and Castlecliff Beach cut with frantic scenes in a Bali prison and courtroom say it all ... Antony de Malmanche was a fish out of water.
Till Death Do Us Part, the documentary which follows the Wanganui man and his family from his arrest in Bali on drug trafficking charges through to his guilty verdict earlier this year, screens on TV3 on Monday.
Director James Bellamy has been involved with de Malmanche's case since the days following his arrest on December 1 last year.
Customs officers found 1.7 kilograms of methamphetamine in de Malmanche's backpack at Denpasar International Airport. His defence argued he was a trafficked person, not a trafficker, as he had flown to Asia to meet an online girlfriend and was a victim of an online dating scam run by drug cartels.
Their efforts were in vain and a Bali court sentenced de Malmanche to 15 years in Kerobokan Prison earlier this year.
Bellamy read the initial news stories with interest and got in touch with the family, first to offer support.
"I felt, having lived and worked in southeast Asia for pretty much the last 25 years, the family were saying too much," he said.
He helped pull together some support around de Malmanche and the family in Wanganui and Palmerston North.
"They were only young - they really didn't know what to do and needed help," Bellamy said.
"From there I told them what I do and that I was a human rights filmmaker and I was interested in their story."
He now had three roles: Family spokesperson, investigator and filmmaker.
While some filmmakers would separate themselves from the story, Bellamy said being so invested in it helped the finished product.
"If I hadn't taken on extra roles I don't think I would've got the same story. As a result of being so close to the family I've managed to document a powerful, compelling story."
Till Death Do Us Part is Bellamy's fourth feature documentary and received $195,000 NZ On Air funding. It was his connection to the two different worlds which drew him in. "An Asian story with a New Zealand connection. It immediately sparks interest," he said.
Next Tuesday is a year since de Malmanche's arrest. "What an incredible year it's been," Bellamy said.
"At times I feel guilty that on the back of this man's suffering something really positive has happened for me.
"Having said that, the story needs to be told and I hope it will help his case and realign some negative public opinion. And if it helps the appeal process and we get to that stage, that would be great."
Bellamy also hoped it would serve as a warning to others.
Meanwhile, Bellamy said de Malmanche was doing as well as he could in prison and was running counselling services for inmates. Bellamy maintains contact with the family and work continues on the case behind the scenes.
-Till Death Do Us Part: 8.30pm, Monday, November 30, TV3