The Act of Killing

Another day, another documentary. Monday morning began with "The Act of Killing", by Joshua Oppenheimer.

A military coup in Indonesia in the 60's led to mass assassinations of accused communists and other "enemies of the state". Many of the killings (estimated at about 2.5 million) were committed by local gangsters and paramilitary organizations, with the support of the State.

In the film, the director meets with a gangster named Anwar Congga and his associates. They recreate scenes from their killings as a film, becoming enthusiastic participants in the production.

The film is surreal and horrifying in equal measure. it also brings into question how much of their remembrances are genuine and how much is glorification inspired by the attention of the film crew and raises questions about the extent to which the director is complicit in their representation (a question which he acknowledged during the Q&A).

Even though the events took place nearly 40 years ago, it's clear that their impacts are still very much active today. The relationship between the government and the paramilitary is very much alive.

As a coda, when I left the Bloor Cinema this morning, I immediately saw two limos with diplomatic plates and a collection of very stern Asian gentlemen. Apparently there were representatives of the Indonesian Embassy at the screening.
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