VICE Talks Film: Joshua Oppenheimer on 'The Look of Silence' 

When I was in school my teacher always told me that in 1965 Indonesian communist were so ruthless. They're killed many generals and innocent peoples with no mercy, then soeharto comes out as a hero. He commanded to demolished Indonesian communist until no one left behind, at least that was written on a book. Act of killing and the look of silence tell me that there's so many untold stories about the dark side of Indonesian history. As Indonesian I should have the courage to face the truth that there had been genocide due the political interests in 1965

the most eerie part of this thing is that it happened in my home province of North Sumatra. As a person who was born during the fall of Suharto regime, i personally never experienced the dictatorship. But hearing stories from my parents and grand parents about the regime, i always have goosebumps.

Being one of those children that grew up with these propaganda I would like to thank Oppenheimer for making the movies. It is heart warming to see there is finally a light in the end of the tunnel. The perpetrators of the genocide was indeed the ruling party for 32 years, hence history was rewritten to conceal all atrocities that had happened. I believe these movies can pave the way for national and international community to reveal the truth for it to be accepted and ultimately change the mindset in order to for reconciliation to happen. Admitting ones mistake is never easy.

Some say a man can´t just change the world. Well this one surely did. Bravo.

I extremely respect Joshua Oppenheimer, Adi Rukun, and all of the team for their bravery! I already watched "The Act of Killing" and "The Look of Silence", I can't stop praising the artwork and how brave they are for making this kind of stunning documentary.

His first documentary concerning the Indonesian genocide ("The Act of Killing") is available on Netflix right now! It's an extraordinary film.

I loved the Act of Killing movie. It was so brutal and chilling that I had to pause every five minutes to take a breather and process what I just saw and comprehend it. I highly recommend it. Not a movie you should watch lightly.

Great interview, but I only really watched to know if Adi's mother was ok -.- I felt so much for her while watching the movie. So strong. Hope she's still ok.

I lived as a foreigner in Indonesia from 1992 till 1995, before the fall of Soeharto ; it happened several times that I would receive threats, never by "topmen" but rather , apparently, from the lowest in the hierarchy of power ; I was just 35 then, and would intimately be rather amused at these threaths, would ignore them and keep doing the job I was supposed to do. After having discovered Joshua's docs 5 years ago, and watched much more recent material, I do understand now these were not just bluff and bogus threats... as I had assumed, and I get a much better understanding on the origin of the lasting and rampant, universal feeling of impunity I was dealing with (which can also be faced in some of our western contextes, too ; and always originates from an abusive form of power, be it at work, or elsewere) ; working then with the local government "insigna" (just a specific car plate !), I also better understand now why a few times I found myself facing people who would shun any type of confrontation or mere interaction, when they had no government connection ; the attitudes I had then assumed to be purely of a cultural/javanese nature, take today for me a very different colour, where a 30-year (or more) history, of a given political "way-of-working", left a long-standing mark on many social interactions, certainly as far as interactions with officials are concerned. I am happy to see that the youth, born past 2005, is now in a position to have their whole conscience, and humanity, move forward.

This was such an intelligent and well done interview!

Terimakasih joshua kamu membuat saya berani memandang sejarah dari sisi lain dari kebanyakan

I have watched both the act of killing and the look of silence.Surely those are the most terrifying documentary I've ever watched.

Both of his films on the subject are.. i mean, they make me feel like... I cant really put it into words.

Do we really need the progress bar at the bottom of the screen? Anyways, I really look forward to seeing this having just seen The Act of Killing, which can hardly be described.

The irony is people in Indonesia hating on communism (don't you dare wearing those hammer and sickle symbol here), but if I ask about what do they know about communism itself, they probably just going to say "communist are atheist! it doesn't reflect Pancasila!". (and before people accuse me as antek komunis, no I enjoy private ownership thank you very much)

Im indonesian. i would like to say thank you, Joshua. this , and prev. film really eye-opening. i grew up in propaganda period of Soeharto about Commies, and me myself, oddly, feeling guilty for believed that BS. Once again, Thank You.

Hi Vice, I actually edited this piece and you put a random man's name on it. I love Joshua Oppenheimer and would love to work with him one day, but he can't see that I'm good at what I do if he doesn't know I edit things. Thank you.

I understood most of the perpetrators(killers) indonesian language in the documentary which they said after the beheading of each victims, the killers have to consume the victims blood poured from the neck just to stay "sane" and which they said they would go insane if they did not consume the victims blood...so cannibalism could be included as well...they are like real vampires that had to drink real human blood...just so bizzare!!

I salute you Mr. director

He should have won for best movie at the Oscars for either the Act Of Killing pr The Look Of Silence.

Please don't give up for the sake of humanity,

please, make it free download for indonesia people.

Where's Reihan Salam :(

in 2013 I was in studying in Indonesia, and my Indonesian American friend sent me "The Act of Killing" in the mail from the states (after asking if I'd like to see it). She had a note in the package saying "do not share this, and watch in privacy!". Some time thereafter they had a screening for the movie at a big university in a neighboring city (UGM I think) and it got shut down because it caused some kind of frenzy. It really seems like there's still a lot of scar tissue between everyday life and traumatic history like this, which is probably in part reinforced by Indonesians' tendency to keep things light and friendly, and to be relatively indirect, deferential, and much more stoic than what I'm used to as an American (qualities which I do have some admiration for).

Please make documentary about the casualties of Pki too. 1948 etc

Yeah, it was a surreal film. Everybody confessing to the most unholy acts with a sense of impunity but also with a sense of exculpation, catharsis, visceral guilt and shame. Confronting skeletons in the cupboard. A most marvelous film. And true! I do hope that this grand mistake of history can finally pass and the people involved learn to get along with each other, bury the hatchet, let bygones be bygones, etc. There is no harm in peace. Truth and reconciliation would be, then, a most fine thing. Some other countries could benefit from the lessons learned too, like Spain and many South American countries...

Amazing

really amazing....I Couldn't have forgiven...

This video should has Indonesian subtitle so Indonesian people can understand what are they actually talking about

Netflix playing it now UK

that movie make me angry about america imperliasm 😠😬

i heard this movie ban in indonesia

Waiting for Oppenheimer to do similar documentary on congo and other African countries

Jeshua should do Rohingya: yhe ungrateful Benggali refuse to asimilate with Buddhist

every country has a dark history, and any history of having two different sides of the story, just how we react wisely

Really messed up film but whats going on with them things in the mums hands at the end been bugging mme out

His documentaries shit on Vice.

Where can i see this movie online cant seem to find it?

Sungai ular and lubuk pakam is my village

He vice......can we have more drug stuff?........

Pardon... What ADI means ?

It is Communist or the opposite, human genocide is terribly wrong. Seeing those guys explaining about how they killed Ramli really boiled my head

Ok

only with the wisdom of President and the justice of Indonesia Supreme Court we can explain/clarified and if necessary punish the guilty.

Sorry, i need to say this. the interviewer, you're so pretty

Isn't Oppenheimer that guy who created the atom bomb?

Oppenheimer is a name that rules the world from h bombs to the diamond trade

Communism in Indonesia started back in 1940s when Indonesia was still under the colonization of Japan. When Japan was bombed they promised us independence as soon as possible, but the youth were impatient so they forced Soekarno & Hatta (the first president & vice president) to declare independence without Japan's permission. After declaring independence in August 1945 Soekarno continued to become president untill 1965/1966 , during those years the communist party built a fond relationship with the president. The president's supporter mostly living in villages with low intellegence would follow the president and communism started to spread. Idk how but the CIA was aware of this and they supplied the army without the awareness of the president a huge list of communist supporters. The army started to take action, hiring Pemuda Pancasila, etc . Unfortunately, many victims were part of collateral damage some were innocent. So the purpose of this film is still debatable for me as an Indonesian.

Indonesia: The New Order

she's cute

is war and killing against ISIS counted also as a genocide? PKI were more dangerous than ISIS in some ways back then politically for Indonesian democracy. both promotes ideologies that are threatening to Pancasila. it's just a matter of perspective,really

4th

The thing is there is two sides to the story, mass killings happened from both sides, not one side is innocent. That being said, alot of innocents were caught up in the crossfire of politics. Artists, Educated, etc, indonesias future leaders, influencers and game changers were stolen from the world.

What ever you do...……...….Don't say Islam had Anything to do with Slaughtering their Neighbors....AGAIN.

Awesome video vice! ALSO my friend and I just found an abandoned castle on an island and found something awesome! Just uploaded!

First :D

bad bad idea to create this..haha