2) The Act of Killing
[youtube]https://youtu.be/SD5oMxbMcHM[/youtube]
Sometimes, cinematic storylines are so implausible an audience writes them off as too over the top. Every once in a while though, you see this phenomenon in a documentary, and you’re reminded that your conventional life is only a sliver of the human experience. The Act of Killing is one of those movies, and damn is it ballsy. The film follows several former Indonesian death squad leaders (still protected by the Indonesian government) and invites them to create a series of short films about the murders they committed. Moral dilemmas are brought forth regarding their public personas and past wrongdoings. Some eventually confront internal anguish while others nonchalantly discuss their rape and killing of fourteen-year old girls followed by a chuckle. This is real life by the way. The end credits leave many names listed as “anonymous”, and who can blame them? It is my favorite documentary, as it not only has something bold and important to say, but it does so in such a creative and original way. It lost “best feature documentary” at the 2014 Academy Awards to a movie about backup singers. That’s the industry I guess.
