Film About Indonesian Optician Getting Oscar Buzz

A scene from “The Look of Silence”, a documentary focusing on the aftermath of Indonesia’s bloody 1960s genocide. DRAFTHOUSE FILMS

“The Look of Silence” has already taken
top honors in two early competitions.

A documentary based on Indonesia’s bloody 1960s genocide that features an optician finally coming face to face with the men who killed his brother won two major awards in the last week and is now getting serious Oscar buzz. The movie, “The Look of Silence” by Joshua Oppenheimer, won top documentary awards from the Gotham Independent Film Awards on November 30 and the International Documentary Association on December 5. On December 1, the film was also named one of 15 finalists for Oscar nominations for top documentary. The final five candidates for the documentary Oscar competition will be announced Jan. 14, along with the contenders in all other categories.