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Unsettling Redemption: The Ethics of Intrasubjectivity in 'The Act of Killing'

Kendall, Sara (2016) Unsettling Redemption: The Ethics of Intrasubjectivity in 'The Act of Killing'. MediaTropes, 6 (2). pp. 22-44. ISSN 1913-6005. (KAR id:59601)

Abstract

Joshua Oppenheimer's documentary 'The Act of Killing' adopts a novel experimental approach to addressing mass atrocity. Perpetrators of Cold War era anti-communist purges in Indonesia are invited to narrate their acts through familiar film genres. The resulting narrative appears to fit within the ideology of transitional justice, with its emphasis on practices of healing, remorse and redemption. Yet the structural dimensions of violence remain unaddressed within this frame. The moral economy of affect and empathy displaces a political analysis of enduring power imbalances and ongoing injustice.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled keywords: Humanitarianism, Transitional Justice, Documentary Film
Subjects: J Political Science > JC Political theory
K Law > K Law (General)
N Visual Arts > N Visual arts (General). For photography, see TR
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > Kent Law School
Depositing User: Sara Kendall
Date Deposited: 11 Dec 2016 21:44 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Feb 2021 13:40 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/59601 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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