The Act of Killing

Groundbreaking documentary in which former Indonesian death-squad leaders re-enact their crimes through scenes inspired by different film genres.

Following an attempted coup in Indonesia in 1965, the military led a violent purge in which more than one million people accused of being communists, alongside ethnic Chinese people and intellectuals were killed. In this chilling documentary, former death-squad leaders recreate their past atrocities through various film genres – from gangster films to surreal musical sequences.

Exploring the intersection between cinema, memory, and power, The Act of Killing is often difficult and deeply unsettling viewing. Through its originality and moral seriousness, it forces viewers to confront human cruelty in ways that are impossible to ignore.