Films can't change the society; they can simply open the space for the discussion which can lead to social change and can start new forms of social activism. Joshua Oppenheimer activismchangediscussion Change image and share on social
All we can do is find the courage to stand still and to look backwards. Joshua Oppenheimer backwardscouragefind Change image and share on social
My father's family was mostly obliterated in the Holocaust, and I grew up very much with the sense that the central moral and political question is how do we prevent these things from happening again. Joshua Oppenheimer centralfamilyfather Change image and share on social
Fiction allows us to both evade truth and to approach it - or, rather, it's fiction that allows us to 'construct' our world. It's haunted by the unimaginable and the unspeakable. Joshua Oppenheimer approachconstructevade Change image and share on social
Yes, it was difficult - making 'The Act of Killing' in particular was a very lonely process. No one really believed in it until very close to the end. But it was also a sanctuary. I was working in obscurity. Joshua Oppenheimer actbelieveclose share on social
If you acknowledge that filming is an occasion where people express things they might not otherwise express, that offers a much more insightful analysis of why documentaries - even of the fly-on-the-wall variety - are powerful. Joshua Oppenheimer acknowledgeanalysisdocumentary share on social
I first went to Indonesia in 2001 for six months. I was to help a community of plantation workers to make a film documenting and dramatizing the struggle to organize a union in the aftermath of the Suharto dictatorship. Joshua Oppenheimer aftermathcommunitydictatorship share on social
Honestly, it is difficult for me because I cannot return to Indonesia safely. So how am I supposed to make another movie in Indonesia when I cannot safely return to Indonesia? Joshua Oppenheimer difficulthonestlyindonesia Change image and share on social
Although we can talk about an Indonesian democracy, or we can talk about democratic elections and democratic rituals - the trappings of democracy - we can't genuinely talk about democracy in Indonesia because there is not rule of law, and democracy without rule of law is a nonsense. Joshua Oppenheimer democracydemocraticelection share on social
I think, if you're in the United States, we've seen people trying to speak out in different ways and trying to make themselves heard about the United States' failure to move on generationally, given the long-festering wound of our history around race. Joshua Oppenheimer failurefestergenerationally share on social