I think, if you're in the United States, we've seen people trying to speak out in different ways and trying to make themselves heard about the United States' failure to move on generationally, given the long-festering wound of our history around race. -Joshua Oppenheimer Failure
Films can't change the society; they can simply open the space for the discussion which can lead to social change and can start new forms of social activism. -Joshua Oppenheimer Space
In Denmark, the annual Christmas party is probably the most important cultural institution in the country. -Joshua Oppenheimer Christmas
In documentary filmmaking, there's a tradition of telling stories about victims. We often do that from a very patronizing place, but mostly we do it from a very selfish place, to reassure ourselves that our lives are in sympathy and solidarity with the victims. -Joshua Oppenheimer Sympathy
I think Direct Cinema's trying to be insightful by looking at reality in a very close way while, in fact, much more is staged than we like to think. In cinema verite, it's about trying to make something invisible visible - the role of fantasy and imagination in everyday life. -Joshua Oppenheimer Imagination
I'm sure it's one of the most frustrating aspects of human experience for all of us, that when we tell someone who's hurt us that they've hurt us, they tend to react with anger because they feel guilty, and we know we also get angry when we feel guilty. -Joshua Oppenheimer Anger
I think 'The Act of Killing' forced people to look at the problem, but the problem is actually a state run by thugs, or a shadow state, a part of the state that's run by thugs, and a military that enjoys complete legal - not just impunity, but immunity. -Joshua Oppenheimer Legal
Denial, panic, threats, anger - those are very human responses to feeling guilt. -Joshua Oppenheimer Anger
