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“Joshua Oppenheimer's follow-up to The Act of Killing, The Look of Silence revisits the 1965 Indonesian genocide, this time from the perspective of the victims.

The Act of Killing (MIFF 2013) was remarkable for the way it unearthed unrepentant mass murderers celebrated as heroes in their community and still enjoying unquestioned power and privilege. Shot concurrently, this companion film gives voice to their victims, who have spent decades living side-by-side with the killers, silenced by terror.

Specifically, the film focuses on ophthalmologist Adi Rukun, whose brother Ramli was slaughtered during the massacre. With Oppenheimer filming, Adi embarks on a dangerous, emotional mission to break the silence by meeting Ramli's killers and asking them to accept responsibility for their crimes. Winning the Venice Film Festival's Grand Jury and FIPRESCI prizes and an audience award at SXSW, The Look of Silence is as deeply unsettling as its predecessor, but also more acutely personal and pointed.” Melbourne International Film Festival

M | Mature themes