Denver Cinema Club

Join me for the 6:45 screening of this documentary/concert film. Tickets are only $7 plus convenience fee. After the movie we'll head to a nearby spot for discussion if anyone is interested. Synopsis courtesy of IMDb: Experience the meteoric rise of Oasis through rare footage and untold stories as the band reunites for Oasis Live '25, chronicling their journey from Manchester streets to global rock stardom.

This is a watch at home, discuss in person event

For my bleak month pick, I thought I'd recommend a few films from a director who, when I first discovered his work, I could not stop watching any interview I could find of this man. Joshua Oppenheimer's research of perpetrators of the 1960s Indonesian genocide is not an easy subject to endure, but I think his approach fundamentally changes what it means to both make and watch a documentary. This will be an interesting discussion for me, as going into it, I've seen 2 of the 3 films. One was an instant favorite, one I found incredibly baffling and unsuccessful in what it was trying to achieve, and one I've still yet to see in part because I was so shaken by the impact of the first. 2 of the 3 are documentaries and 1 is narrative fiction, but all of them share his interest in how someone who has committed atrocities can move on to look themselves in the mirror every day, and lead a rather banal life.

Please try to watch all 3 films before the discussion, but it's okay if you've only seen 1 or 2.

Films:

The Act of Killing (2012):
In this chilling and groundbreaking documentary, former Indonesian death squad leaders reenact their real-life mass killings in the style of various film genres. As they recreate their past atrocities, the line between reality and performance blurs, exposing the lingering impact of Indonesia’s 1965-66 anti-communist purge and the unsettling psychology of its perpetrators.
Stream for free on Kanopy

The Look of Silence (2014):
An optician grapples with the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-1966, during which his older brother was exterminated.
Stream for free on Kanopy or Tubi

The End (2024):
Twenty-five years after environmental collapse left the Earth uninhabitable, Mother, Father and Son are confined to their palatial bunker, where they struggle to maintain hope and a sense of normalcy by clinging to the rituals of daily life—until the arrival of a stranger, Girl, upends their happy routine. As tensions rise, their seemingly idyllic existence starts to crumble.
Stream on Hulu or for free on Kanopy