MOVIE | Documentary "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" Focuses on the Rebellious Artist
MOVIE | Ai Weiwei's Defiance: A Documentary on the Rebel Artist
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry - A Documentary on the Rebel Artist
Ai Weiwei, the contemporary Chinese artist known for his rebellious spirit, is the subject of the documentary "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry." The film opens nationwide on Saturday, November 30th, at Theater Image Forum and other cinemas.
Text by YANAKA Tomomi
Directed by Alison Klayman, a freelance journalist
Ai Weiwei is renowned as a leading contemporary artist in China, having contributed to the design of the "Bird's Nest" stadium, the main venue for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His solo exhibition at the Mori Art Museum in 2009 drew approximately 460,000 visitors. While Weiwei creates works that resonate deeply with many, his pursuit of free expression and truth has led to significant pressure from the Chinese government.
Alison Klayman, a freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker who previously lived in China, spent two years closely following Weiwei. Her documentary, which delves into Weiwei's life and work, has garnered critical acclaim, including a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, the world's largest independent film event. It is now set to screen in Japan.
The film showcases Weiwei's avant-garde and powerfully 메시지-driven works. It also features interviews with his mother, brother, and other close associates. His father, the prominent Chinese poet Ai Qing, and friends discuss Weiwei's formative decade spent living a bohemian life in 1980s New York.
Assault, Exhibition, House Arrest—Witness the events that befell Weiwei
Ai Weiwei is China's most prominent contemporary artist and, simultaneously, its most vocal critic. Born in Beijing in 1957 into a revolutionary intellectual family, Weiwei's trajectory often mirrors the course of modern Chinese history. His condemnation of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which followed the devastating Sichuan earthquake, led the government to brand him a dangerous element. His subsequent independent investigation into the collapse of school buildings and the deaths of over 5,000 children during the earthquake solidified his confrontation with the Chinese authorities.
Then, in December 2008, police raided his studio late at night. Weiwei was assaulted, sustaining injuries that required emergency neurosurgery. Yet, Weiwei remained undeterred. He unveiled "So Sorry," a poignant installation crafted from 9,000 school backpacks, dedicated to the children lost in the earthquake.
Despite continued persecution, including the demolition of his Shanghai studio in 2011 and his illegal detention for 81 days, Weiwei's spirit endures. We are sure to be captivated by the extraordinary life of this man who has challenged the government and created art.
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
Opening nationwide on Saturday, November 30th, at Theater Image Forum and other cinemas.
Directed and Filmed by│Alison Klayman
Starring│Ai Weiwei
Distributed by│Kino Films
2012 | USA | 91 min
http://www.aww-ayamaranai.com/