Her detailed portrait provides a nuanced exploration of contemporary china and. Liao, who has made berlin his home since fleeing china in 2011, had never met ai in china, and the two men were feeling each other out, the polished, cosmopolitan ai contrasting with the learned but rougher liao. Inspirational ai weiweis life and influence presented in. In recent years, ai has garnered international attention as much. Firsttime director alison klayman gained unprecedented access to ai while working as a journalist in china. Ai is his countrys most celebrated avantgarde artist. In recent years, ai has garnered international attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political. As a sequel to ai weiwei s film lao ma ti hua, the film so sorry named after the artists 2009 exhibition in munich, germany shows the beginnings of the tension between ai weiwei and the chinese. Dec 01, 2009 ai weiwei is a chinese contemporary artist, active in blogging, sculpture, installation, architecture, curating, photography, film, and social, political and cultural criticism. Al weiwei has always been a famous artist but recently his political activities have begun to get him international attention. A documentary that chronicles artist and activist ai weiwei as he prepares for a series of exhibitions and gets into an increasing number of clashes with the chinese government.
Never sorry teaches us, if nothing else, that its subject will never stop speaking truth to power, whether in the form of a 140character tweet or a largescale piece of architecture. Al weiwei is also known for his political activism. The story of a very popular artist trying to make change in china, ai weiwei. Never sorry comes with a great 1080p hd transfer and is presented in 1. Art and politics collide in this eyeopening portrait of outspoken chinese artist and activist ai weiwei. Never sorry unavoidably plays like an unfinished film. Never sorry is a film about ai weiwei, a renowned chinese artist and activist who continually champions the values of democracy and human rights, and thus works in opposition to chinas authoritarian government. This documentary features sitdown interviews, archival footage, and some guerillastyle shooting as ai weiwei is being transported to police stations, on the run from the police, and at art galleries. Ai weiwei and liao yiwu shortly after ais arrival in berlin, i accompanied the exiled chinese writer liao yiwu to meet him. The documentary goes onto chronologically reconstruct the events that occurred from the time he was arrested at the beijing airport in april 2011 to his. Its subjectthe chinese artworld celebrity and political dissident ai weiweimade headlines a week before its u. Either you know the name ai weiwei or you are, to some degree, clueless. Never sorry examines the complex intersection of artistic practice and social activism as seen through the life and art of chinas preeminent contemporary artist. Never sorry premiering february 25, 20 check local listings.
Alison klayman documents the life and work of chinese artist and activist ai weiwei. Never sorry is an intimate portrait of the chinese artist and political activist who came to international prominence due to his antigovernment views. Unfortunately for them, the reputation of the man time magazine shortlisted for 2011s person of the year cover story just seems to grow. Never sorry is the inside story of a dissident for the digital age who inspires global audiences and blurs the boundaries of. Klaymans detailed portrait of the artist provides a nuanced exploration of contemporary china and one of its most compelling public figures. In recent years, ai has garnered international attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political provocations.
Never sorry examines the complex intersection of artistic practice and social activism as seen through the life and art of chinas preeminent. Al weiwei has always been a famous artist but recently his political activities have. From 2008 to 2010, beijingbased journalist and filmmaker alison klayman gained unprecedented access to internationally renowned chinese artist and activist ai weiwei. A documentary reveals the remarkable chinese artist ai weiwei to be a mysterious, opaque figure, but theres no denying the power of. The film is not a comprehensive study of ai s art, says critic mark jenkins, but it is. Never sorry stars danqing chen, weiwei ai, dan ai, lao ai the r movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 31 min, and received a score of 81 out of 100 on.
One of 2012 sundance film festivals official selections, this documentary piece by alison klayman. Never sorry follows the famous artist around the world as he repeatedly irks chinese authorities with his art and political critiques. It was the latest development in a chapter of ais life that began with an 81day. Ai then turned to twitter and wrote prolifically on the platform, claiming at least eight hours online every day. Never sorry is rated r under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Never sorry covers the noted chinese artists battle against the authorities in beijing. He is an undoubtedly fascinating focal point for a documentary as debut filmmaker, alison klayman, follows him for three years capturing his professional high points as well as his numerous brushes with chinese authorities, including. A charismatic and infectiously energetic character, he achieved worldwide fame in 2008 after codesigning his countrys iconic birds nest olympic stadium and then publicly denouncing the games as government propaganda. Klayman documented ai s artistic process in preparation for major museum exhibitions, his intimate exchanges with family members and his increasingly public clashes with the chinese government. Follows ai from the close of the 2008 beijing olympics for which he helped design the acclaimed birds nest stadium to his arrest and 81day detention. Never sorry is the first featurelength film about the internationally renowned chinese artist and activist, ai weiwei. Never sorry is a documentary film that was released in 2012 about the noted chinese artist named al weiwei. Firsttime director, alison klayman, spent three years following weiwei as he prepared for major. Receive the tee, buttons, download, the never sorry dvd and two 8 x10 limited edition photographs of ai weiwei edition of 20 signed by director alison klayman. Never sorry captures ai weiweis transformation from artist to political dissident.
In april 2011 ai weiwei was arrested on unclear charges and detained for three months in an undisclosed location. Never sorry with incredible access and the full participation of her subject, alison klayman presents a significant yet scattered introduction to the chinese superstar artistactivist. That was the same year security forces detained ai at the. At the time ai weiwei had been under house arrest for a few days. He is an undoubtedly fascinating focal point for a documentary as debut filmmaker, alison klayman, follows him for three years capturing his professional high points as well as his numerous brushes with chinese. Never sorry is the stunning inside story of a dissident for the digital age who inspires global audiences and blurs the. A documentary reveals the remarkable chinese artist ai weiwei to be a mysterious, opaque. Her detailed portrait provides a nuanced exploration of contemporary china and one of its most compelling public figures. He was calm but already then keenly aware of how precarious and unsafe his situation was. Jul 27, 2012 certainly not ai weiwei, the middlefingerwaving subject of alison klaymans revelatory documentary, ai weiwei. While ai weiwei is a very famous artist in china, this film is not necessarily about his art. Certainly not ai weiwei, the middlefingerwaving subject of alison klaymans revelatory documentary, ai weiwei. Jun, 2012 inspirational ai weiweis life and influence presented in never sorry.
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