Joshua Oppenheimer

The 19 Best Documentaries Of The 2010s
The 19 Best Documentaries Of The 2010s

In the 2010s, filmmakers pushed conventions of the form in both aesthetics and subject matter, expanding the umbrella of what be considered a “documentary.” The result was a decade of feasting for non-fiction film lovers.

Nuclear war, Baby-Killing Microwaves & Native American Genocide: Your Guide To THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE
THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE: More Than A Sum Of Its Nonsensical Parts?

The Entire History of the Louisiana Purchase ventures into nearly every documentary topic imaginable except what the title might imply.

Joshua Oppenheimer
“Joshua, Stop Your Crying” – An Interview With Director Joshua Oppenheimer

The Look of Silence, the harrowing companion piece to The Act of Killing, was released earlier this year to universal acclaim. With the film about to be released on streaming platforms in the US, with a ton of awards nominations heading its way (including a place in the shortlist for Best Documentary at the Oscars this year), Film Inquiry spoke to director Joshua Oppenheimer about the past decade in his life making these films, as well as the new form of documentary storytelling he has pioneered. Alistair Ryder for Film Inquiry:

THE LOOK OF SILENCE: A Masterpiece You’ll Never Want To Watch Again

Ignorance truly is bliss. Before watching Joshua Oppenheimer’s harrowing 2012 documentary The Act of Killing, I had no knowledge of the 1965-1966 genocide in Indonesia, which was initially intended on purging “communists” from Indonesian society, but resulted in a million innocent people being massacred. That I could have no awareness of the subject could be blamed on western ignorance – upon receiving the BAFTA for best documentary, Oppenheimer claimed that the UK and US were partly responsible for these atrocities to happen due to their insistence on destroying communism at any cost (a statement that was naturally cut out of the TV broadcast).