The Act of Killing (2012)
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The film follows individuals who participated in the Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66 as they re-enact their crimes and confront their own actions.
The story
The film follows individuals who participated in the Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66, where victims included those opposed to the New Order regime. The narrative follows the executioner Anwar Congo and his acquaintances as they, at the director's request, re-enact their killings and speak openly about their actions. The film documents these re-enactments and follows Congo's psychological journey as he confronts the reality of his past. Filmed primarily in Medan, the documentary explores the transition from the 1965-66 massacres to the current status of the perpetrators, many of whom remain in positions of power or have transitioned into organized crime.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows Anwar Congo and Herman Koto, former members of a death squad who participated in the 1965-66 Indonesian mass killings. The documentary captures them re-enacting their crimes, including strangulation and stabbing, while discussing their roles and current lives. The film explores the lack of remorse among some participants, like Adi Zulkadry, who views the killings as a necessity. It also highlights the current status of the Pancasila Youth, who continue to engage in corruption and criminal activities. A central arc follows Anwar Congo's psychological journey; during a re-enactment, he experiences a panic attack and feelings of remorse, eventually retching at his own memories. The film concludes by showing the contrast between the perpetrators' boastful public personas and the internal turmoil of individuals like Congo as they confront the reality of their actions.
- First release year
- 2012
- Runtime (minutes)
- 122
- Production countries
- Denmark; Indonesia; Norway; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- Indonesian
- Directors
- Joshua Oppenheimer; Anonymous; Christine Cynn
- Cast and characters
- Anwar Congo; Herman Koto; Syamsul Arifin; Ibrahim Sinik; Japto Soerjosoemarno; Safit Pardede; Jusuf Kalla; Adi Zulkadry; Soaduon Siregar; Marzuki; Anif Shah; Rahmat Shah
- Genres
- documentary; psychology
- Themes
- impunity; memory; guilt; history
- Tone and mood
- haunting; confrontational; surreal
- Premise and plot tags
- true crime; political; historical
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 95% · scale: percentage · review count: 163; Metacritic · score: 92 · scale: 100 · review count: 34
- Awards and nominations
- European Film Award · Best Documentary · 2013 · won; British Academy Film Award · best documentary · 67th · won; Academy Award · Best Documentary Feature · 86th · nominated
- Production trivia
- The film was inspired by the 2003 documentary 'The Globalisation Tapes'.; The film was released for free online specifically for viewers in Indonesia.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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