Set against the tumultuous lead-up to the 1999 referendum in East Timor and its horrifying aftermath, ANSWERED BY FIRE is a very personal exploration of first-world intervention in third-world traumas. Canadian RCMP officer Zoe Brennan, Australian Federal Policeman Mark Waldman and a young East Timorese translator named Ismenio Soares are brought together by the UN's fateful effort to give the Timorese a voice in their own future. In the chaotic run-up to the vote, these initially reluctant partners become real friends. But when the UN evacuates in the post-ballot rampage, Mark and Zoe are forced to abandon Ismenio and his family to a nightmarish fate. Haunted by guilt, the two westerners each find their way back to Timor, driven to make amends to the people they tried - and failed - to protect.