Bodil Award to The Look of Silence

The Danish film critics yearly ceremony took place last night and Joshua Oppenheimer, director and Signe Byrge, producer were on stage to get the statuette, named after the two important actresses in Danish cinema Bodil Kjer and Bodil Ipsen, an award established in 1948. The statuette is of porcelain, designed by Ebbe Sadolin, sculpted by Svend Jespersen for Bing & Grøndahl, porcelain manufacturer. The motivation speech went like this:

“Dear Joshua. Back in 2012 you blew us away with your thought provoking, original and absolutely brilliant film “The Act of Killing” You had just moved to Denmark to work with Signe Byrge and Final Cut for Real, and we were regrettably not able to award you the prize for Best Danish Documentary – so we awarded you the special Bodil instead. We simply had to give you something back for all that you had given us. This time, with “The Look of Silence”, we insist on claiming you as one of us. As a most welcome addition to the Danish film society. Thank you for that, and thank you, most of all, for “The Look of Silence”, an amazingly brave and at the same time harsh and loving follow-up to “The Act of Killing”, in which you give the victims a much needed voice and allow us viewers an unprecedented access into the events of 1965 and into the minds and lives of the people involved on both sides – killers and victims. Your film makes us feel, it makes us think, it opens our eyes to the world. For that we thank you”.

And the acceptance speech by Oppenheimer like this: “Fifty years ago this year, the Indonesian genocide began, and in one terrible, important way it has never ended: the perpetrators still hold power throughout the country, and many people in Indonesia remain afraid. Just last week, two hundred elderly survivors were attacked by thugs as they tried to meet and commemorate the atrocities. Despite how much still remains to be done, I am proud that our two films, The Act of Killing and The Look of Silence, have helped trigger a national debate about this terrible history where once there was only silence. This would not be possible without many wonderful people, including my wonderful producer, Signe Byrge Sørensen, my family, my beloved partner, without whom I could not do anything in life, my fantastic Danish crew, our anonymous Indonesian crew, who risked their safety to create these two films and bring them out safely and widely in Indonesia. And above all, the courageous, wise, and loving protagonist of The Look of Silence: my friend Adi Rukun, and his wonderful family. This prize is for all of you, to whom I say tusind, tusind tak, terima kasih sebesar-besarnya.”