History,Documentary
Denmark,Finland,France,Germany,Indonesia,Israel,Netherlands,Norway,United Kingdom,United States of America
The Look of Silence is a documentary film directed by Joshua Oppenheimer that examines the aftermath of the Indonesian genocide that took place in the mid-1960s. The film follows an optometrist named Adi, whose brother was killed during the genocide. Adi spends his days visiting the homes of the men responsible for his brother's death. He conducts eye exams and engages the men in conversations about their past actions. Through these interviews, Adi tries to understand how and why his brother was killed, and he confronts the men about their role in the genocide.
The Look of Silence is a companion piece to Oppenheimer's earlier film, The Act of Killing, which also explores the Indonesian genocide. However, in The Look of Silence, the focus is not on the perpetrators of the violence, but on the victims and their families. The film is a powerful exploration of trauma, memory, and justice, and it raises important questions about the responsibility of individuals and societies for past crimes.
The Look of Silence premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2014 and went on to win numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival and the Audience Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film has been praised for its sensitive and nuanced portrayal of a complex and deeply troubling subject, and for its powerful message about the importance of confronting the past in order to build a better future.
