The Look of Silence

Indonesia, 1965: the ruthless Suharto (backed by the CIA) leads a militarized campaign against President Sukarno and stages an all-out extermination of alleged “communists” in Indonesia, including many innocent civilians that Suharto’s men chose at will. Fifty years later, Adi, an optician whose brother Ramli was a victim of the mass murders, confronts the military leaders complicit in his brother’s death. As Adi practices his optical skills, he challenges the leaders’ memories of those gruesome years and presses them to acknowledge the blood on their hands. Academy Award® nominee Joshua Oppenheimer’s follow-up documentary to his unnerving “The Act of Killing” is the victim’s side of the story. While the earlier film focused on the delusional psyche of the death squads, THE LOOK OF SILENCE sets its sights on the victims of their homicidal wrath. As Adi uncovers the horrific details of his brother’s death, he also uncovers a nation unable to confront its past, revealing the endless depths of human denial and the shallow waters of moral responsibility. (In Indonesian and Javanese with subtitles) – C.P.