The Look of Silence

In this companion piece to 'The Act of Killing,' a former Indonesian death squad leader's son, Adi, confronts the men who murdered his brother during the 1960s genocide. Armed with the knowledge of his brother's killers, Adi revisits his aging oppressors, now prosperous and respected, seeking a truth and reconciliation that his family has been denied for decades. The film powerfully documents his journey to understand the unimaginable violence that shaped his nation.

The Look of Silence was met with near-universal critical acclaim, hailed as a masterful and profoundly moving documentary. Critics lauded Joshua Oppenheimer's sensitive and courageous approach to tackling the horrific legacy of the Indonesian genocide, particularly through the personal perspective of Adi Rukun. The film's quiet intensity, its exploration of memory and accountability, and its unflinching gaze at the perpetrators and survivors alike cemented its status as a landmark work of nonfiction cinema.

• A profoundly moving and courageous examination of the Indonesian genocide.
• Oppenheimer's sensitive direction allows for a powerful exploration of memory and reconciliation.
• The film is a vital and unflinching look at the perpetrators and survivors of unimaginable violence.

Google audience: Google users overwhelmingly praise 'The Look of Silence' for its bravery, emotional depth, and importance as a historical document. Many viewers found the film deeply affecting and a necessary confrontation with past atrocities, highlighting Adi Rukun's quiet strength and the film's profound impact.

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, Winner of the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary.

Director Joshua Oppenheimer and his team worked with the survivors of the Indonesian genocide in secret, as many feared reprisal from the perpetrators who were still in power and often living in the same communities.