The Act of Killing (2012)
The Act of Killing (2012)
Plot.
Where to Watch.
Currently The Act of Killing is available for streaming online, rent, buy or watch for free on: Apple TV, Microsoft Store, Amazon Video, Netflix, Fandor Amazon Channel, MZ Choice Amazon Channel, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Netflix basic with Ads, Fandango At Home, Filmzie, Hoopla
Streaming in:🇺🇸 United States
Cast & Crew.
Anwar Congo
Self
Herman Koto
Self
Syamsul Arifin
Self
Ibrahim Sinik
Self
Yapto Soerjosoemarno
Self
Safit Pardede
Self
Jusuf Kalla
Self
Adi Zulkadry
Self
Haji Anif
Self
Sakhyan Asmara
Self
Soaduon Siregar
Self
Suryono
Self
Haji Marzuki
Self
Rahmat Shah
Self
Simon Lereng Wilmont
Thanks
Joshua Oppenheimer
Director / Co-Producer
Christine Cynn
Producer / Co-Director / Co-Producer
Torstein Grude
Executive Producer / Co-Producer
Werner Herzog
Executive Producer
Maria Kristensen
Associate Producer / Post-Production Manager
Anne Köhncke
Producer
Errol Morris
Executive Producer
Lizzy Ratner
Associate Producer
André Singer
Executive Producer
Signe Byrge Sørensen
Producer
Joram ten Brink
Executive Producer / Producer
Bjarte Mørner Tveit
Executive Producer / Co-Producer
Michael Uwemedimo
Producer
Nils Pagh Andersen
Editor
Erik Andersson
Editor
Charlotte Munch Bengtsen
Editor
Janus Billeskov Jansen
Editor
Ariadna Fatjó-Vilas
Editor
Mariko Montpetit
Editor
Heidi Elise Christensen
Post-Production Manager
Helga Høegh-Krohn
Post-Production Manager
Henrik Gugge Garnov
Sound Editor
Gunn Tove Grønsberg
Sound Editor
Elin Øyen Vister
Sound Designer
Christopher Berge Hove
Visual Effects
Media.
Details.
Release DateNovember 1, 2012
Original NameJagal
StatusReleased
Running Time2h 39m
Budget$1,000,000
Box Office$722,714
Genres
Last updated:
This Movie Is About.
Wiki.
The Act of Killing (Indonesian: Jagal, lit. 'Butcher') is a 2012 documentary film directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, with Christine Cynn and an anonymous Indonesian co-directing. The film follows individuals who participated in the Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66, wherein alleged communists and people opposed to the New Order regime were tortured and killed, with the killers, many becoming gangsters, still in power throughout the country. The film was mostly filmed in Medan, North Sumatra, following the executioner Anwar Congo and his acquaintances as they, upon Oppenheimer's request, re-enact their killings and talk about their actions openly, also following Congo's psychological journey facing the topic.
A co-production between Denmark, Indonesia, Norway and the United Kingdom, it is presented by Final Cut for Real in Denmark and produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen, with Werner Herzog, Errol Morris, Joram ten Brink and Andre Singer in executive producer roles. The film was conceived following Oppenheimer and Cynn's Indonesian documentary film The Globalisation Tapes (2003), which depicted survivors of the killings, who ideated The Act of Killing. They interviewed 40 people who were unexpectedly boastful about their actions, before taking an interest on Congo in 2005 due to his humanist quality. Filming occurred up to 2011 with an Indonesian team largely credited anonymous. Oppenheimer described the process as taking a psychological toll on their mental health. The film was edited by a team of four.
The Act of Killing premiered on 31 August 2012 at the Telluride Film Festival in the United States, which was followed by more festival and theatrical screenings up to 2014. The initial releases used a 120-minute cut, with the 2013 television airings trimming it further up to 95 minutes. Due to its positive reception, the 160-minute director's cut, previously only shown in Indonesia, was released for international audiences. The Indonesian release began on 1 November 2012 secretly, but public releases were later seen, and popularity spiked in the country too. It was later released for free online only for people in Indonesia. The film received widespread acclaim from critics for its method in tackling the subject, blending surrealism with realism. It has entered lists of the best films by various critics, and has earned various accolades including a British Academy Film Award.
The film has become subject to scholarly analysis regarding documentary filmmaking, and the mass killings itself. It has also helped catalyse a wide conversation regarding the events in Indonesia, with the reality of what happened more known, especially with the Western world's indirect involvement. In China, the film sparked outrage due to the depiction of the gangsters extorting money from Chinese Indonesians. The Indonesian government has not given positive responses, claiming that it is a misleading portrayal of the country's history. A spiritual successor, The Look of Silence, was released in 2014; it depicts the family of a victim as they encounter the killers and understand further on what happened.