Question 1

Why did the film's focus shift from victims to perpetrators?

Accepted Answer

The project started with a focus on victims' families, but many were arrested during interviews, leading the director to meet torturers and refocus on them.

Question 2

How did an audience member compare the film to the Holocaust?

Accepted Answer

An audience member in Berlin said it was like having SS officers re-enact the Holocaust, but the director noted Nazis are no longer in power, unlike the protected death squad members in Indonesia.

Question 3

Why are many crew members credited as Anonymous?

Accepted Answer

The co-director and 48 other crew members are credited as Anonymous because they still fear revenge from the death-squad killers featured in the documentary.

Question 4

Which festivals did 'The Act of Killing' screen at?

Accepted Answer

It screened at CPH:DOX, Telluride Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival, Olhar de Cinema - Curitiba International Film Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival.

Question 5

What is the documentary's central premise?

Accepted Answer

Former Indonesian death squad leaders reenact their real-life mass killings in various film genres, blurring reality and performance to expose the impact of the 1965-66 anti-communist purge.

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The Act of Killing

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