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'The Act of Killing' just the start of 'long road' to addressing 1965 killings
Jakarta Globe - March 3, 2014
"We made the movie because we were pessimistic that there would be any action acted upon the case," the anonymous co-director told the Jakarta Globe.
"But we were also optimistic that the people finally want to re-learn their history and identity... We hope that the coming movies, discussions and anything else will bring change in the society. They may not be able to change the conditions, but we're sure they can change the society."
The co-director was unfazed by the film's Oscar snub, explaining via Twitter that documentary was only the start of a "long road" to addressing the realities of the 1965 massacre – which left an estimated 500,000 people dead in a wave of anti-communist violence.
The documentary has prompted a response from the central government, and discussion among human rights activists and public officials over a period of history long obscured by decades of New Order-era propaganda.
The film, made by US director Joshua Oppenheimer and an anonymous Indonesian crew, has already won a host of awards, including best documentary at the 2014 BAFTA awards. But for the co-director, who remained anonymous out of fear of retaliation over the film's content, the documentary's impact in Indonesia remained more important than any award, he said.
"Each nomination and award that we won has helped us to open up a wider discussion on human rights and impunity," the co-director said. "Even though we didn't win [the Oscar], we strongly believe that the conversation on this issue will still be there among the people.
"The movie is disturbing at some points. It is not an answer, but rather a question... for the viewers. Until there is a real answer and action [from the central government], the question will still haunt many people."
"The Act of Killing" received a Best Documentary Feature nomination at the 86th Annual Academy Awards but lost to director Morgan Neville's "Twenty Feet From Stardom," which spotlights the US music industry's unsung backup singers. The documentary may not have won the Academy Award, but the directors continued to receive accolades from their peers on Monday.
"Special salute to @Anonymous_TAoK. If he didn't need to stay anonymous, today he'd be the first Indonesian sitting in that Oscar audience," tweeted Daniel Ziv, the director of "Jalanan," referring to the Twitter account used by the Indonesian co-director.
The film, which was not submitted to be shown in Indonesia, was posted for free download for Indonesian viewers. A complete copy of the documentary was also posted to YouTube, where it has received more 130,000 views, the co-director said. He is now working with Oppenheimer on a second film about the purge, this one focusing on the victims. The documentary, tentatively titled "The Look of Silence," was shot at the same time as "The Act of Killing," and is currently in the editing stages.
The co-director expects "The Look of Silence," to be released by the end of the year. "The movie was shot at the same time as 'The Act of Killing'," he said. "It will bring up the same issue during the same time frame in South Sumatra."
The co-director thanked the survivors of the 1965 killings for their help in making the film in a tweet on Monday morning.
"The Act of Killing is a gift for the Indonesian people. The victim's family, survivors and the viewers are our motivation to make this movie," he tweeted. "We owe them gratitude and support, which we can never pay back," the co-director continued. "Thank you for everything."
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