On Saturday 21 March and Tuesday 24 March, Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival (DCAF) will screen two documentaries -- The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence -- by American director Joshua Oppenheimer.

Both documentaries are based on footage of the 1965 Indonesian Genocide. Screened in Egypt for the first time, the initiative comes as part of cooperation between DCAF and Zawya, which hosts both screenings. DCAF’s film programme is curated by Rasha Salti.

Nominated Best Documentary at the 2014 Academy Awards, The Act of Killing follows two filmmakers as they depict their dramatic memories of mass executions through cinematic scenes.

Among a long list of awards, The Act of Killing was named Best Documentary Feature Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Best Documentary at the British Academy Film Awards.

A sequel to The Act of Killing, The Look of Silence shows a family of survivors who discover how their son was murdered. Adi, the youngest son, decides to break the silence and confront the killers.

The film was screened at the 71st Venice International Film Festival as a part of the official competition, during which it won several awards including the Grand Jury Prize and the European Film Critics Award (FEDEORA). The film was also named Best Documentary in the Starz Denver Film Festival and Best World Documentary in the Busan International Film Festival.

Programme:

Saturday 21 March
6.30pm: The Act of Killing
Screening will be followed by Q & A with the director
9.30pm: The Look of Silence

Tuesday 24 March
6.30pm: The Look of Silence
9.30pm: The Act of Killing

Zawya, Odeon Cinema, 4 Abdel-Hamid Said Street, off Talaat Harb Street, Downtown, Cairo

Check the festival's programme here.

Ahram Online is a main media partner of 4th Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival