Adi Laquin in a scene in the documentary "The Image of Silence".
Drafthouse Films/Participant Media
Adi Laquin in a scene from the documentary "The Image of Silence."
In "The Act of Killing," which was nominated for the 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary, and its latest sequel, "The Look of Silence," there is such a particularly chilling end-credits scene. The moment: Dozens of crew members were left without names, replaced by "Anonymous."
"Deduction of Killing" shows the perpetrators of the Indonesian genocide that has killed hundreds of thousands of people since 1965. In front of the camera, these perpetrators proudly re-enacted the brutal killing process, they were never punished, and they even enjoyed power and prestige. "The Silence," which opens in New York on Friday (July 10 -- editor's note), stars Adi Rukun, the mild-mannered optician whose brother was killed in the purge. Filming him quietly confronting the killers and their leaders, the film shows the pain and injustice endured by the victims' loved ones.
Director Joshua Oppenheimer had been planning to collect stories from the families of the victims for a documentary more than a decade ago, but less than a month after the interviews began, the interviewees were all overwhelmed. threat. So Oppenheimer switched to "Deduction of Killing" and, for safety reasons, completed "The Silence" before the film's release. He then left Indonesia and, on the advice of human rights experts, never returned. Eleven years ago, a prominent Indonesian human rights activist was tragically poisoned, and these atrocities continue.
Lakun and his family, as well as the anonymous staff member and dozens of their family members in both films, are Indonesians and still live in their home country, and their safety is at stake.
Laquin with his mother Rohani.
Drafthouse Films/Participant Media
Laquin with mother Rohani.
"We tried to figure out what kind of danger or threat we might face," said an anonymous staff member who has directed both films, "and we ended up with a whole bunch of 'we don't know.' I don't know if I'm in danger. It's more of a worry." The
staff member was interviewed via Skype from his home, where video chat is not available, and he lives with his family on Indonesia's most populous island. He remains vigilant, trying to hide his identity. He never ventured 1,000 miles away to North Sumatra, where both documentaries were filmed, and he never had himself filmed, nor did he give face-to-face interviews, or go anywhere where members of the paramilitary might be present.
It's another matter to protect Laquin (whom the author of this article could not reach for an interview) and his family from harm. Six months before The Silence was released, Oppenheimer and his crew met with the Lakun family in Thailand to discuss how to keep them safe. They wanted them to move to Europe to live for a few years, but the Lakun family was reluctant to leave Indonesia. Oppenheimer suggested delaying the release of the film until the perpetrators were all dead.
"The family said, 'This movie should be out now,'" recalls Oppenheimer.
The Lakun family eventually chose to leave North Sumatra and move to a village hundreds of miles away with a secret address. To protect them, human rights lawyers and activists live around them, on high alert for any signs of threat or intimidation, Oppenheimer said. The True/False Film Fest in Columbia, Missouri, donated $35,000 to help Adi Laquin open an optometry shop.
Oppenheimer said they had not been threatened so far.
Part of that may be due to the critical acclaim of "The Silence" in Indonesia, where a year and a half ago official denial of the Holocaust seemed unshakable. "Deduction of Killing" was released underground and screened in secret in this country for a time. Public mention of the film is risky; a news editor was attacked for writing a review of the film and naming by name the Pancasila Youth, the paramilitary force responsible for the massacre.
Still, the Oscar nomination gave "Killing Hour" the recognition and moral affirmation that paved the way for "The Silence" to premiere last November in Indonesia. The film was advertised on billboards in Jakarta and attracted thousands of viewers. Laquin's unexpected appearance after the premiere was met with a ten-minute standing ovation from the audience.
In a way, the Laquin family tragedy was the catalyst for both films. Oppenheimer, an American living in London (now in Denmark), made his first visit to Indonesia 14 years ago to help film plantation workers who were dying from the effects of a chemical herbicide on their unionization efforts. Oppenheimer said that the plantation company invited the "Five Commandments Youth League" to threaten these workers, and the workers had to quickly give up their demands. But they hesitated to tell Oppenheimer about the horrific murders and disappearances that the paramilitary group began decades ago. "I realized that it wasn't just poison that killed my friends, it was fear," Oppenheimer said.
Workers also said a man named Ramli was one of the few victims in the area whose bodies were later recovered. Shortly after Oppenheimer's contact with Lumley's family, the Laquins, the military silenced the other survivors, so Oppenheimer said Adi Laquin urged him to try and film the perpetrators .
Oppenheimer did just that, and he was speechless by the ostentation of those men. In 2004, two older former regional paramilitary leaders took him to a river and enthusiastically demonstrated details about how they cut victims into pieces and even drank their blood. These actions are believed to prevent mental disorders. This scene, which appeared in "The Image of Silence," Oppenheimer said was what inspired him to make both films.
After seeing the unedited original film, Laquin wanted to meet the killers of his brothers. Oppenheimer said he initially refused because of the apparent danger, but Laquin urged him repeatedly. The crew accurately anticipated that filming the paramilitary's top leaders in the first film could provide cover for the second documentary -- lower-level regional members interviewed in "The Silence" believe Oppenheimer Friends of those powerful superiors.
The consequences of the two films continue to this day. Politician Joko Widodo, aware of their significant impact among civilians, pledged to improve human rights in Indonesia in his campaign for the presidency. He eventually won the election, even though Amnesty International said severe abuse continued. Most news publications called on the government to confront the past. In March, the film was released at a military command in Indonesia.
Oppenheimer said his most cherished comments came from Werner Herzog, the producer of both films. "He said, 'Joshua, art can't change anything -- long pauses -- until it finally actually makes a difference.'"
This article was originally published on July 15, 2015.
Translation: Dong Nan
http://cn.nytstyle.com/film-tv/20150722/t22docsafety/
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