2. • The Act of Killing is a 2012 documentary film.
• Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, and co-directed by Christine Cynn and an
anonymous Indonesian. It is a Danish-British-Norwegian co-production,
presented by Final Cut for Real in Denmark and produced by Signe Byrge
Sørensen
• It is a Docwest project of the University of Westminster.
• It won the 2013 European Film Award for Best Documentary, the Asia Pacific
Screen Award, and has been nominated for the Academy Award for Best
Documentary Feature at the 86th Academy Awards.
Overview of the film In this chilling and inventive documentary, executive produced by Werner Herzog,
Errol Morris and André Singer, the unrepentant former members of Indonesian
death squads are challenged to re-enact some of their many murders in the style of
the American movies they love.
4. • In 2001, while conducting interviews for their 2003 film The Globalisation
Tapes, Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine Cynn began delving into the
Indonesian killings of 1965–66. After moving up the ranks of those
involved with the killings, Oppenheimer's interviews led him to meet
Anwar Congo in 2005. The film was shot mostly in Medan, North Sumatra,
Indonesia, between 2005 and 2011. After seeing an early preview of The
Act of Killing, filmmakers Werner Herzog and Errol Morris signed on as
executive producers
5. Production Companies.
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Final Cut for Real
Piraya Film A/S (co-produced with)
Novaya Zemlya (co-produced with)
Spring Films (in association with)
The film was shot between 2005 and 2011.
It took more than seven years to complete and would never
have been successful without extensive work by dozens of
Indonesians.
• The Indonesians involved met with human rights groups,
who told them that if they included their names in the
credits, they could face intimidation, harassment and
possibly a death made to look like an accident.
6. • Produced by •
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Signe Byrge Sørensen
Executive:
Werner Herzog
Errol Morris
Andre Singer
Joram Ten Brink
7. •
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Budget- $1 million
Box office as of Jan 26, 2014 - $469,214
France – release date: 10/4/13- total gross $10,320
Spain – release date: 30/8/13 – total gross $61,258
United Kingdom- release date: 28/6/13- total gross
$163,777
• Only shown in 15 theatres in the opening week and then
down to 6 in August.
• Doesn’t need to go down the big distribution channel as it
is targeting a niche market. Although it has been
nominated for many awards it has only made $710,457.
8. • The Indonesian co-director spent eight years working on the film and has
also been responsible for its unofficial distribution in Indonesia. The film
wasn’t submitted to the government’s censorship board, opting instead
to rely on thousands of private and public screenings despite
intimidation from paramilitary groups, local police and government
officials.
• Two screening organizers received death threats and last year the
manager of a local newspaper was beaten for writing an article
promoting “The Act of Killing.” At least three people were injured at a
social gathering held by victims’ families in Yogyakarta in October. They
were attacked by the Indonesian Anti-Communist Front (FAKI).
• It wasn’t like a normal production, many involved where anonymous and
it was dangerous for the producers of the film.
• Because of these issue the film wasn’t promoted widely in Indonesia and
therefore didn’t gain a lot of revenue, however because the documentary
film was intriguing, dangerous and interesting it attracted a wide
audience in other countries
10. • The main publicity was through social media (Facebook and Twitter). The
website is regularly attacked in Indonesia. Anyone in Indonesia “can ask
for a free DVD all the have to do is say that they will have a screening with
friends or family and give us their shipment address”.
• Anonymous is also in touch with a few bookstores that give out the DVD
as a bonus item, as well as two pirate DVD sellers who are marketing the
documentary online. He says that after it was announced on September
30 that The Act of Killing was available for free download in Indonesia,
the number of DVD requests doubled. "We cannot put billboard
advertisement or print an advertisement in media, but every time there's
an open screening, organizers print and put posters or stickers
everywhere," he says.
• Relies quickly established word of mouth as one of the must see films of
the year. Draft house Films secured the American distribution rights to the
film last year and is planning a 30-market theatrical release and awards
campaign.
11. Reviews
• Reviews
• "The most compelling thing you'll ever see" 5 stars – The Guardian
• "An utterly fascinating, chilling, but important film" 5 stars –
Independent on Saturday
• "Shatteringly powerful" 5 stars– The Sunday Times
• "This might be the most important documentary ever." 5 stars – The
Daily Mail
• "Simply the best film of the year" 5 stars – The Metro
• "Like no movie seen before" 5 stars – The Financial Times
• "Unlike anything else out there" 5 stars– Little White Lies
• "Staggeringly original" 5 – stars Time Out
• "A devastating, surreal must-see" 5 stars – The Evening Standard
12. Awards
• Gotham Independent Film Award for Best
Documentary, European Film Academy
Documentary Award - Prix Arte, National
Society of Film Critics Award for Best
Nonfiction.
16. Festivals:
2012
Telluride Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
CPH:DOX
2013
Berlin International Film Festival
!F Istanbul Independent Int. Film Festival
Zagreb ox
SXSW, Austin
True/False, Columbia
Movies that Matter, Haag
One World Int. Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Prague
FICUNAM Int. Film Festival in Mexico
The International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), Geneva
Tempo Festival, Stockholm
One World Int. Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, Romania
AND MANY MORE!
18. • Draft house films the US distributor has made a deal with
BitTorrent to distribute the film on the internet.
• Draft house Films continues to look for the best way to get
this documentary in front of eyeballs not just in the US but
around the globe. Says Draft house Films Chief Creative
Officer Evan Husney: “Our goal is to reach as many people as
possible — to preserve this film as a documentary, and as a
testament to what happened in Indonesia. BitTorrent Bundle
allows us to address a global audience of more than 170
million: to ensure that awareness of the film’s message
reaches beyond the Internet’s censors and firewalls.”
19. Dog woof Distribution UK.
Upcoming Screenings:
Friday 07 February
Milton Keynes – MK Gallery
Sunday 09 February
London – ICA – Director's Cut
Friday 14 February
Limerick – Limerick Royal – Director's Cut
Sunday 16 February
London – ICA – + Director Q&A
Sunday 02 March
Edinburgh – Pleasance Theatre – Popup Cinema Screening
Monday 03 March
Coventry – Warwick Student Cinema
Sunday 09 March
London – Prince Charles Cinema
Wednesday 19 March
Falmouth – The Poly
Monday 07 April
Saffron Walden – Saffron Screen
In celebration of today’s Oscar® nomination for
Best Documentary Feature, we are bringing
the film back to the big screen in multiple
markets beginning February 7th. Theatrical
dates and cities will be posted on the film’s
website www.actofkilling.com. The Act Of
Killing is also available to watch now on all
major Video OnDemand and digital platforms
including iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and
Netflix and available for purchase in a deluxe
2-disc DVD/Blu-ray edition.
