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==Overview== |
==Overview== |
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| ⚫ | "40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy" is the first documentary to explore the personal effects of one of the largest unknown mass-killings of the 20th century. In 1965-66, an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 people were secretly killed when General Suharto began a bloody purge of suspected communists throughout Indonesia. Wielding his growing influence to install his New Order regime, Suharto ultimately gained power and presidency of the country. For decades, the Indonesian government repressed all memory of this event. The film follows the testimonies of four individuals and their families from Central Java and Bali, two regions heavily affected by the purge. As they break their silence for the first time, each family provides an intimate look at what it was like for survivors of the mass-killings. They describe the events of 1965 through their own experiences and reflect upon the stigmatization and brutalization they continued to endure on both the village and state levels. |
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"'''40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy'''" is the first documentary to explore the personal effects of 1965 mass-killings of 500,000 people in Indonesia, four families narrate their struggles with survival, their feelings of hatred and revenge, and ultimately the journey to reconciliation and redemption. |
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The film uses three historians of this period ( Romo Baskara, Geoff Robinson, John Rossa) and the anthropologist/filmmaker ( Robert Lemelson) as the narrators providing the historical setting for the families’ stories. These historical explanations are intercut with the characters narrations. As the families stories unfold, the film narrates the significant political and cultural changes underlying the massacres. The film then describes aspects of how the extra judicial killings were enacted, as seen through the survivor’s eyes. The film progresses to demonstrate what life under Suharto’s autocratic “New Order” regime was like for survivors, who were stigmatized as family of communist party members. Finally, the film ends with the fall of the Suharto regime, the establishment of a period of democratization and reformation in Indonesia, and the subsequent beginnings of a more open period where narratives and memories of this event are allowed to be expressed. |
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The film was shot in standard definition video and 16 mm film, on the islands of Bali and Java from 2002-2006, though earlier footage from the director’s anthropological research are also included. The score is a collaboration between the British composer Malcolm Cross and the Balinese musician Nyoman Wenten, that combines Western tonalities and chordal structures with Balinese and Javanese scalar progressions and melodies. The film was released in the United States in 2009, and has had limited screenings in Indonesia. The film was nominated for the the “History Makers” most innovative production in 2010. It was screened at a number of other film festivals, as well as numerous academic venues. Institutional distribution is by Documentary Educational Resources, and it is available for home use on Amazon.com and at the production company’s website elementalproductions.org |
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'40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy' follows the testimonies of four individuals and their families from Central Java and Bali, two regions heavily affected by the purge. As they break their silence publicly for the first time, each gamily provides an intimate look at what it was like for survivors of the mass=killings. They describe the events of 1965 through their own experiences and reflect upon the stigmatization and brutalization they continue to endure on both the village and state levels. |
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Over time, the survivors and their families attempt to find ways to deal with a tragedy that was not openly recognized by their neighbors, government or the world. Through their stories, the audience will come to understand modern day Indonesia's potential for retribution, rehabilitation, and reconciliations within this historical context. The character's narratives illustrate that such violence creates tears in the social and political fabric of society, which can take generations to heal. |
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10 Questions for Robert Lemelson |
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The Harvard Crimson, "Breaking from the 'Silence'" |
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The film is more than a tragic story of genocide and its victims. The deeper them in this film is how children preceive, cope with, and ultimately come to terms with these experiences throughout their life course. The juxtaposition of narratives of the past with the current struggles of a younger generation provides a window into long-lasting effects of childhood trauma. It also stresses the importance of having a contextual understanding when exploring the effects of violence. The film makes the point that, in order to understand how best to treat victims of trauma, we need to have a clear understanding of their culture and history. |
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Jakarta Globe, "Breaking the 40-Year Silence About the Anti-Communist Purge" |
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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/justAdded/breaking-the-40-year-silence-about-the-anti-communist-purge/274572 |
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Voice of America Interview with Director Robert Lemelson |
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70Dl2xvsB20 |
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Jakarta Globe, "1965 Mass Killings Erased From History, Scholars Say" |
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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/1965-mass-killings-erased-from-history-scholars-say/313313 |
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Jakarta Globe, "1965: Giving Voice to the Silenced Past" |
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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/1965-mass-killings-erased-from-history-scholars-say/313313 |
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==Awards== |
==Awards== |
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2009 Accolade Competition. "Award of Merit Winners - Film" |
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2009 Indie Fest Awards. "Award of Excellence" |
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2011 History Makers Awards. Nominee for "Most Innovative Production" |
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==Festivals== |
==Festivals== |
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April 2009. Boston International Film Festival. Boston, Massachusetts |
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June 2009. Amnesty International "Films That Matter" |
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August 2009. Globians World + Culture Documentary Film Festival. Berlin, Germany |
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October 2010. Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival. Taipei, Taiwan |
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October 2010. XIX International Festival of Ethnological Film. Belgrade, Serbi |
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December 2010. Psychocinema Festival. Jakarta, Indonesia |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External Links== |
==External Links== |
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Revision as of 21:23, 30 April 2012
Overview
"40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy" is the first documentary to explore the personal effects of one of the largest unknown mass-killings of the 20th century. In 1965-66, an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 people were secretly killed when General Suharto began a bloody purge of suspected communists throughout Indonesia. Wielding his growing influence to install his New Order regime, Suharto ultimately gained power and presidency of the country. For decades, the Indonesian government repressed all memory of this event. The film follows the testimonies of four individuals and their families from Central Java and Bali, two regions heavily affected by the purge. As they break their silence for the first time, each family provides an intimate look at what it was like for survivors of the mass-killings. They describe the events of 1965 through their own experiences and reflect upon the stigmatization and brutalization they continued to endure on both the village and state levels.
The film uses three historians of this period ( Romo Baskara, Geoff Robinson, John Rossa) and the anthropologist/filmmaker ( Robert Lemelson) as the narrators providing the historical setting for the families’ stories. These historical explanations are intercut with the characters narrations. As the families stories unfold, the film narrates the significant political and cultural changes underlying the massacres. The film then describes aspects of how the extra judicial killings were enacted, as seen through the survivor’s eyes. The film progresses to demonstrate what life under Suharto’s autocratic “New Order” regime was like for survivors, who were stigmatized as family of communist party members. Finally, the film ends with the fall of the Suharto regime, the establishment of a period of democratization and reformation in Indonesia, and the subsequent beginnings of a more open period where narratives and memories of this event are allowed to be expressed.
The film was shot in standard definition video and 16 mm film, on the islands of Bali and Java from 2002-2006, though earlier footage from the director’s anthropological research are also included. The score is a collaboration between the British composer Malcolm Cross and the Balinese musician Nyoman Wenten, that combines Western tonalities and chordal structures with Balinese and Javanese scalar progressions and melodies. The film was released in the United States in 2009, and has had limited screenings in Indonesia. The film was nominated for the the “History Makers” most innovative production in 2010. It was screened at a number of other film festivals, as well as numerous academic venues. Institutional distribution is by Documentary Educational Resources, and it is available for home use on Amazon.com and at the production company’s website elementalproductions.org
Reviews
10 Questions for Robert Lemelson http://www.today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/PRN-10-questions-for-robert-lemelson-80497.aspx
The Harvard Crimson, "Breaking from the 'Silence'" http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2009/2/20/breaking-from-the-silence-i-want/
Jakarta Globe, "Breaking the 40-Year Silence About the Anti-Communist Purge" http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/justAdded/breaking-the-40-year-silence-about-the-anti-communist-purge/274572
Voice of America Interview with Director Robert Lemelson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70Dl2xvsB20
Jakarta Globe, "1965 Mass Killings Erased From History, Scholars Say" http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/1965-mass-killings-erased-from-history-scholars-say/313313
Jakarta Globe, "1965: Giving Voice to the Silenced Past" http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/1965-mass-killings-erased-from-history-scholars-say/313313
Awards
2009 Accolade Competition. "Award of Merit Winners - Film" 2009 Indie Fest Awards. "Award of Excellence" 2011 History Makers Awards. Nominee for "Most Innovative Production"
Festivals
April 2009. Boston International Film Festival. Boston, Massachusetts June 2009. Amnesty International "Films That Matter" August 2009. Globians World + Culture Documentary Film Festival. Berlin, Germany October 2010. Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival. Taipei, Taiwan October 2010. XIX International Festival of Ethnological Film. Belgrade, Serbi December 2010. Psychocinema Festival. Jakarta, Indonesia