Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Joshua Oppenheimer's 'The Look of Silence' Poster & Trailer

Even if you're not into documentaries, this is a MUST SEE kind of film. The Look of Silence is the follow-up documentary to Joshua Oppenheimer's shocking and profound film, The Act of Killing (see review). The Act of Killing confronts the murderers behind the Indonesian killings of 1965-66 where more than a million people were slaughtered. In The Look of Silence, Oppenheimer focuses on an optometrist who confronts the men that killed one of his brothers. It's a chilling companion piece that is surely to instill fear just at the sheer tenacity of the premise.

I got chills just at the first glance of the Executive Producer names who are documentary gods aka Werner Herzog and Errol Morris. Just having their stamp of approval means it's a worthwhile and powerful film. Already the tone of the film is heavy but it's also complemented by such serene and beautiful cinematography.

It's always been said that sometimes silence speaks more volumes than words ever could. And it seems like in this case, it's almost an inevitable act considering the fear that confrontations like these bring. We see people in moments of solitude, contemplating their troubling situation especially one that requires lengthy introspection because they know that an act like this will have reverberating consequences once the camera is turned off considering it is the killers who are in position of power.

These are the very reasons why I love documentaries because they have the capacity to capture the hidden reality in brutal and unflinching honesty. The Look of Silence is not going to be an easy ride but it's one that must be experienced and felt. Drafthouse Films is bringing the film early 2015.