`The Act of Killing`, Film Eksekutor PKI Masuk Nominasi Oscar 2014
`The Act of Killing` Got 2014 Oscar Nominations
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
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FILM "The Act of Killing" atau "Jagal" yang bercerita tentang eksekusi anggota Partai Komunis Indonesia tahun 1965 masuk nominasi film dokumenter terbaik Oscar 2014, yang pemenangnya akan diumumkan di ajang Academy Awards ke-86 pada 2 Maret mendatang.
Film garapan sutradara Joshua Oppenheimer itu bersaing dengan "Cutie and the Boxer" garapan Zachary Heinzerling dan Lydia Dean Pilcher, "Dirty Wars" karya Richard Rowley dan Jeremy Scahill, "The Square" karya Jehane Noujaim dan Karim Amer dan "20 Feet from Stardom".
Bagi sutradara Joshua Oppenheimer, terpilihnya film itu sebagai salah satu nominasi Oscar lebih dari sekadar penghargaan kepada sineas.
Ia berharap film itu juga bisa membuat masyarakat semakin kritis menuntut keadilan dari para pemimpin yang melakukan kejahatan, baik itu genosida atau korupsi.
"Hanya beberapa bulan dari sekarang, rakyat Indonesia akan berangkat ke Tempat Pemungutan Suara untuk memilih presiden baru. Dengan salah satu calon kuat yang bertanggung jawab atas kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaan, dan masih diteruskannya glorifikasi sejarah genosida untuk membangun iklim ketakutan, ada risiko nyata bahwa negeri ini akan mundur kembali ke kediktatoran militer," kata dia dalam siaran pers.
Pembuat film berharap nominasi ini akan menjadikan film "Jagal" dan persoalan impunitas diangkat di halaman depan surat kabar Indonesia.
"Dan orang-orang Indonesia segera membicarakan bagaimana impunitas yang berkaitan dengan pembunuhan massal telah menyebabkan kekosongan moral yang dipenuhi ketakutan, korupsi, dan premanisme."
Joshua menggarap film "The Act of Killing" bersama sutradara anonim yang menginginkan film itu bisa selalu menjadi pengingat bagi masyarakat untuk melawan lupa bahwa kebenaran belum diungkapkan dan keadilan belum ditegakkan.
THURSDAY´S Academy Award nominations produced the typical assortment of surprises and omissions, with "American Hustle," "Gravity" and "12 Years a Slave" leading the list of major contenders.
While many of the year´s most celebrated films are still screening at local theaters, the lineup of nominated films available for home consumption is pretty slim... except for the lineup of documentary feature nominees.
"The Act of Killing" is widely regarded as the Oscar frontrunner and for good reason. In addition to the disturbing recollections of admitted murderers, the film also invites these men to reenact their mass killing methods onscreen. Most shockingly, the men embrace the opportunity as they recreate death and torture sequences in the style of their favorite movie genres (old gangster films, music and dance routines).
Some within the regime eventually admit to their group´s wrongdoing, telling stories of the murders that have haunted them. Others worry that by depicting their victims as innocents, they are undermining the glory of their still-in-power regime.
The film´s most fascinating subject, Anwar Congo, shows little remorse for his actions, until he struggles to portray one of his victims being tortured and killed. It is his eventual reaction to the footage that leads "The Act of Killing" into uncharted territory.
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, "The Act of Killing" is horrific-but-essential viewing. In its structure and subject matter, there isn´t any documentary quite like it, making it all the more deserving of Oscar gold.
The fifth documentary nominee, "20 Feet from Stardom," is a more lighthearted affair about backup singers to the world´s most popular musical acts. While not available on Netflix Instant, you can rent the film on disc or digitally.
