40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy
preview of this film coming soon
by Robert Lemelson
color, 86 min, 2009
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40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy tells the story 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. For decades, the Indonesian government repressed all memory of this event, and the world looked away.
Based on the research of prominent anthropologist Robert Lemelson and edited by two time Academy Award winner, Pietro Scalia, this film follows the compelling testimonies of four individuals and their families from Central Java and Bali, as they break their silence for the first time. Told in understated detail, the cumulative effect of their stories is heartbreaking, profound and ultimately redemptive.
Visit the film's official website: www.40yearsofsilence.com
Film Festivals, Screenings, Awards
ISSTD 26th Fall Conference, Washington, DC, 2009
Ethel LeFrak Holocaust Education Conference at Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA, 2009
Kean University Human Rights Institute Screening, Union, New Jersey, 2009
Indonesian Council Open Conference 2009 on the Events of 1965, University of Sydney, Australia, 2009
International Association for Genocide Scholars (IAGS) 2009 Annual Conference, Arlington, VA, 2009
Boston International Film Festival, Boston, MA, 2009
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