“What makes art powerful is a flash of recognition, a frightening encou...” — Joshua Oppenheimer Quote

“What makes art powerful is a flash of recognition, a frightening encounter with something familiar about the human condition.”

“I'm a big admirer of S21, and I really also like Rithy Panh's work in general.”

“Like all art, nonfiction film should invite, seduce, or force us to confront the most difficult, frightening or mysterious aspects of what it means to be human.”

“In calling someone a bad guy, I reassure myself that I'm good. I elevate myself. I call it the 'Star Wars morality'. And unfortunately, it underpins most of the stories we tell.”

“I didn't really get any rigorous background in film history.”

“At Harvard, direct cinema was the core of the film department, and most of the students were trying to make socially conscious works, but I was trying to combine fiction and non-fiction to show how our seemingly factual world is constituted through fantasy and stories.”

“In terms of the mechanics of story, myth is an intriguing one because we didn't make myth up; myth is an imprinture of the human condition.”

“Not only does the proportion of the poor increase with the growth of the city, but their condition becomes more wretched.”

“The more I think on the present condition of woman, the more am I oppressed with the reality of their degradation.”

“In 'Condition Zero,' failure has greater consequences and success offers greater rewards.”

“Fame is not a natural condition for human beings.”

“Rioting is always an expression of rage at the hopelessness of the rioters' condition. People who have been educated well enough to feel that they have a good future in the society in which they live will not riot.”