TEHRAN- Denmark-based American film director Joshua Oppenheimer is scheduled to hold a master class on directing documentaries during the 18th edition of the International Documentary Film Festival of Iran, known as Cinema Verite, in Tehran.

Born in 1974, Oppenheimer is an acclaimed American film director based in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is primarily recognized for his profound documentary films, notably "The Act of Killing" (2012) and its sequel, "The Look of Silence" (2014), both of which received critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including Academy Award nominations. His impressive contributions to the film industry have garnered him prestigious awards, such as the Marshall Scholarship in 1997 and the MacArthur Fellowship in 2014.

Oppenheimer's academic journey is remarkable; he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with highest honors in filmmaking from Harvard University and later obtained a PhD from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design at the University of the Arts London, an endeavor funded by the Marshall Scholarship. Currently, he serves as a Professor of Film at the University of Westminster, where he shares his extensive knowledge and expertise with aspiring filmmakers.

His initial foray into filmmaking began with "The Entire History of the Louisiana Purchase" (1997), a short film that earned him the Gold Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival in 1998. However, it was his work in Indonesia from 2004 to 2012 that brought him international recognition. "The Act of Killing" premiered at the 2012 Telluride Film Festival and focuses on individuals who were involved in the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-66. This powerful documentary won numerous awards worldwide, including the European Film Award for Best Documentary, a BAFTA for Best Documentary, and the Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Documentary, among others. It was also nominated for a Best Documentary Feature Oscar at the 86th Academy Awards.

Following that success, "The Look of Silence," released in 2014, serves as a companion piece to "The Act of Killing." This film offers a penetrating exploration of the aftermath of the atrocities and was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature at the 88th Academy Awards. It screened competitively at the Venice International Film Festival, where it won several prestigious awards.

Oppenheimer's films have prompted significant discussions about the West's role in the Indonesian massacres, particularly criticizing U.S. complicity in the events. In a 2015 interview, he highlighted how American support facilitated the killings, an assertion that garnered attention and led to the declassification of numerous U.S. documents related to these events in 2017.

The Documentary & Experimental Film Center (DEFC) organizes the 18th Cinema Verite. The festival tries to express the relationship between reality and truth through documentary films.

This year’s edition of the festival will have several sections including the national competition, the international competition, the Martyr Avini Award, “Gaza, Palestine, Resistance,” commemoration ceremonies, and other programs on the sideline of the event.

Photo: American film director Joshua Oppenheimer in an undated photo

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