Starring: Ai Weiwei
Directed by: Andreas Johnson
Not Rated
Running time: 1 hour 26 mins
International Film Circuit
Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars
A couple of years ago the film “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry” gave many their first look at the man often referred to as the most influential artist in the world. Known as much for his politics as his talent, the film followed the career and life of the man before and after his rise to fame. A new documentary, which deals with the after-effects of Ai Weiwei’s “disappearance” courtesy of the Chinese government, has recently been released and it’s just as insightful and powerful as the artist himself.
The film begins as Ai Weiwei returns home after he has been held in confinement charged by the government with tax evasion. After almost 3 months away he is surrounded by journalists who hurl questions at him about his time away. Resignedly, the artist informs them that he “can’t say anything.” Now home, he spends his days quietly, spending time with his son. Whether meeting the neighborhood dog or picking vegetables from the garden, the two are inseparable. It is obvious that being away from his family has taken its toll.
We later sit in on a conversation between Ai Weiwei and his mother. Her husband had also been persecuted by the government and she sees many similarities in the way her husband and son have been treated, with one major difference. “It’s like living on the top of a wave,” she says, noting that if it was 1957 the Chinese government would have “already killed you.” While working on various art projects he quietly talks about his situation. He relates that when you are arrested by the government you are not allowed a lawyer…you cannot contact your family. It is like being kidnapped.
Because of his status, he is often besieged by foreign journalists, looking to get an interview. Not about his art, but about his ideas. They fawn over him, hoping to be the one to get the exclusive. But Ai Weiwei has learned that to say anything too negative could once again cost him his freedom. He is content to work in his studio or relax in his apartment. The view from his high rise windows include the United States Embassy right next door, a reminder of the freedom he longs for in his native country. A freedom he knows can be taken away in the blink of an eye.