An optometrist offering free eye-exams slowly infiltrates the mob chain of command to confront and hold accountable the men responsible for the brutal murder of his brother. What sounds like a pitch for a second-rate HBO series is in reality the first of two intended companion pieces to Joshua Oppenheimer’s unprecedented documentary, The Act of Killing. Where Killing focused on the surreal reenactment of mass genocide by its perpetrators. Silence makes it personal, ripping into the past of a family whose youngest son, Adi, places his life on the line by facing down his brother’s assassins, many of whom still hold political office. He simply refuses to take “The past is past” for an answer, to the point where his fearful mother stops just short of insisting that her son hire a food-taster. Every tale of brutality is punctuated by what should be described as uncomfortable laughter, yet a pride in craftsmanship resonated throughout each giggle. I’m almost afraid to see what Part 3 holds in store. (2015) — Scott Marks
This movie is not currently in theaters.