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How Joshua Oppenheimer Finds Humanity in Tragedy on This Episode of 'Autobiographies'

In this episode, the prolific filmmaker discusses the process behind his award-winning documentaries and how they've redefined Indonesian history.

When filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer first met the boastful perpetrators of a decades-old genocide in Indonesia, he was so taken aback by their cavalier attitude toward this horrible atrocity that he decided to spend the next few years of his life unmasking the country's failure to address these crimes through film.

"I thought, My god, it's like I've wandered into Germany 40 years after the Holocaust only to find the Nazis still in power.I couldn't think of anything more important that I could possibly do."

He embedded in Indonesia, talking with war criminals and the victims of their horrific crimes, which resulted in two internationally acclaimed documentaries, The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence. Since the films' release, Oppenheimer spends his time traveling the world discussing Indonesia's current political situation.

"I think of myself less as a story teller and more as an explorer. And I see myself as taking these long, intimate, transformative journeys with people within the overall safe space of making a film."

In this episode of VICE's Autobiographies, Oppenheimer discusses the meticulous process behind the creation of his films, retraces the steps he took on his journey to becoming a documentarian, and addresses the impact his films have had in redefining history for the Indonesian people.

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