“The Act of Killing”: New Film Shows U.S.-Backed Indonesian Death Squad Leaders Re-enacting Massacres
An excellent interview with director Joshua Oppenheimer from DemocracyNow! explains the history of the massacres, the U.S. role in them, and how he went about making this extremely unusual and compelling film.
I was pleased to hear Amy Goodman ask him pointedly about the wailing children on the set after a re-enactment of a massacre, a sequence that I thought raised important questions of artistic ethics. Oppenheimer’s response, more extended and complex than the one he gave me last year, helped me appreciate more deeply his courage in making this important film.
As for the U.S. role behind the scenes, it included compiling and furnishing the killers with death lists, as well as with weapons and other equipment.
“I probably have a lot of blood on my hands, but that’s not all bad. There’s a time when you have to strike decisively.” –Robert J. Martens, former U.S. official in Jakarta
To read my review of The Act of Killing, click here.
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