The Look of Silence 15

The Look of Silence is an unmissable piece of documentary filmmaking. A follow up to The Act of Killing Joshua Oppenheimer again explores issues surrounding the Indonesian 'purge of communism' in the 1960s, but this time the focus is on the victims.

The film centers around Adi, an optometrist who lives in close proximity to those who murdered his brother as he raises questions about the genocide to the perpetrators. His breaking of the silence leads to some electrifying scenes, in a film where the beauty of the Indonesian landscape belies the bone chilling horrors carried out there in the name of democracy.

Following the film, we will discuss whether a documentary may be said to be 'doing philosophy'. This will centre around the themes of truth, evidence and ethical considerations of the documentary process.