40 Years Of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy

“40 Years of Silence: An Indonesian Tragedy” is a feature length documentary film about one of the most horrific chapters in Indonesia’s history. In one of the largest unknown mass killings of the 20th century, an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 people were secretly and systematically killed in 1965-1966, when General Suharto began a bloody purge of suspected communists throughout Indonesia. 40 Years takes a multi-generational approach and follows the testimonies of four individuals and their families as they break their silence for the first time about violence, stigmatization, and trauma they have and are still experiencing as a result of the 1965 mass-killings. Through their stories, the audience will come to understand modern-day Indonesia’s potential for retribution, rehabilitation and reconciliation within this troubled historical context. The characters’ narratives illustrate that such violence creates tears in the social and political fabric of society, which can take generations to heal.