The Look of Silence
First screened in October 2014 / Most recently screened in January 2020
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer. Documentary about long-term legacies of Indonesian genocide and military coup, focalized through one man seeking the truths around his brother's death.

Twitter Capsule: Confounds expectations less than The Act of Killing, but manifests equal if quieter audacity. Heroic.

VOR:   For sheer political witnessing and formal risk-taking, and intrepid effort in dangerous circumstances, Oppenheimer's two-film cycle is indispensable.



Photo © 2014 Final Cut for Real/Spring Films/Piraya Film A/S

Not yet reviewed in full. Grade: A–


Academy Award Nominations:
Best Documentary Feature

Other Awards:
Venice Film Festival: Grand Special Jury Prize (Runner-Up for Best Picture)
Boston Society of Film Critics: Best Foreign Language Film

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