![]() ![]() ![]() Klayman has full access to the artist (such as footage from his 12 years working at a NYC gallery and video material recorded by Ai and his assistants). His works include helping to design Beijing’s Bird’s Nest stadium for the 2008 Olympics, filling the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall with 100 million ceramic sunflower seeds (symbolizing his belief in many ideas) and openly challenging the government by uncovering the government-suppressed names of thousands of schoolchildren killed in the Sichuan earthquake.įirst-time fi lmmaker Alison Klayman was working as a journalist in China when the unpredictable Ai Weiwei was detained in 2011 by the government and held for 81 days. “ Klayman never demonizes the authoritarian Chinese government, as her purpose seems to be to show how difficult it is to be a rebel in such a closed society as China.”Ī not completely satisfactory documentary that chronicles Chinese shock artist and activist Ai Weiwei without fully getting into his head, as he prepares for a series of controversial exhibitions and gets into an increasing number of clashes with the Chinese government. Early reviews seem positive, with it receiving a standing ovation at its premiere.AI WEIWEI:NEVER SORRY (director/writer: Alison Klayman cinematographer: Alison Klayman editor: Jennifer Fineran music: Ilan Isakov cast: Ai Dan, Ai Lao, Ai Weiwei, Lee Ambrozy, Danqing, Ethan Cohen, Feng Boyi, Gao Ying, Gu Changwei, He Yunchang, Hsieh Tehching, Huang Kankan Runtime: 91 MPAA Rating: R producers: Alison Klayman/ Adam Schlesinger Sundance Selects/IFC Films 2012-USA/China-i n English and Mandarin, with English subtitles) The documentary will be well worth a watch and hopefully it just uses Ai Weiwei as a central figure to explore what is going on in China rather than making him out to be a martyr for a cause that isn't explored in great depth. There is no question he's done a lot and risked a lot in the process of his political activism. With all that said it's very easy to be politically purist and criticise those who put a lot on the line to try and improve the society they live in. ![]() I also get the impression that his presence puts a bit of a shadow over the many other political activists who have suffered a lot more than him for their dissenting voices (I'm not saying that he intends to do that by the way). He also seems to be quite aware of himself being a well known figure and it seems there is a bit of an ego with it. But I see the flaws of previously living in a society that Ai Weiwei would aim for and it isn't all it's cracked up to be. Of course I'm not against these reforms, in fact I would gladly welcome them as an improvement for all the people who live in China. He essentially just wants to reform the Chinese government by having more freedom of speech, right to protest and open elections. In the teaser trailer he says that he espouses liberalism and individualism. I can't say I'm a fan of Ai Weiwei politically other than he has put himself out there to challenge the Chinese government. I think you probably get a good idea of what it will be like from the the teaser trailer released last year, a mini-documentary on the New York Times website and the introduction given by the director Alison Klayman for Sundance Film Festival (below). I've not had a chance to see the film yet but as soon as it starts circulating on the net, I'll do my best to get hold of it. ![]()
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