Film

The Act of Killing

7.720122h 39mMA 15+Documentary History

Age rating: MA 15+
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer
Year: 2012

A story of killers who win and the society they build.

After befriending documentarian Joshua Oppenheimer, former Indonesian death squad leaders reenact their real-life mass killings in the style of various American film genres. As they recreate their past atrocities, the line between reality and performance blurs, exposing the lingering impact of Indonesia's 1965-66 anti-communist purge and the unsettling psychology of its perpetrators.

Top cast

Anwar Congo

Self - Executioner in 1965

Herman Koto

Self - Gangster & Paramilitary Leader

Syamsul Arifin

Self - Governor of North Sumatra

Ibrahim Sinik

Self - Newspaper Publisher

Yapto Soerjosoemarno

Self - Leader of Pancasila Youth

Safit Pardede

Self - Local Paramilitary Leader

Jusuf Kalla

Self - Vice President of Indonesia

Adi Zulkadry

Self - Fellow Executioner in 1965

Suryono

Self - Anwar's Neighbor

Haji Marzuki

Self - Member of North Sumatra Parliament

Haji Anif

Self - Paramilitary Leader & Businessman

Rahmat Shah

Self - Member of Parliament

Sakhyan Asmara

Self - Deputy Minister of Youth & Sport

Soaduon Siregar

Self

Directed by

Joshua Oppenheimer

Produced by

Anne Köhncke, Signe Byrge Sørensen, Michael Uwemedimo