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The Act of Killing
The Act of Killing
8.7
/10
3,480 Ratings

THE ACT OF KILLING

Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn
Denmark, Norway, 2012
Documentary

Synopsis

When the government of Indonesia was overthrown by the military in 1965, Anwar and his friends were promoted from small-time gangsters to death squad leaders. Now celebrated as heroes, these unrepentant murders are challenged by the filmmakers to dramatize their role in genocide.

Synopsis

When the government of Indonesia was overthrown by the military in 1965, Anwar and his friends were promoted from small-time gangsters to death squad leaders. Now celebrated as heroes, these unrepentant murders are challenged by the filmmakers to dramatize their role in genocide.

Our take

Joshua Oppenheimer confronts the legacy of Indonesian genocide via a jaw-dropping conceptual gambit: inviting the perpetrators to collaborate in cinematic reenactments of their crimes. BAFTA-winning and Oscar®-nominated, The Act of Killing is one of the most powerful documentaries in recent memory.