Archive Cinema City 2013.

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Year: 2012
Duration: 91 min

Director: Alison Klayman



Programme selection: Beldocs @ Cinema City

Original language: Mandarin Chinese, English
Subtitles: Serbian

Synopsis:

Ai Weiwei is China’s most famous international artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic. Against a backdrop of strict censorship and an unresponsive legal system, Ai expresses himself and organizes people through art and social media. In response, Chinese authorities have shut down his blog, beat him up, bulldozed his newly built studio, and held him in secret detention.

First-time director Alison Klayman gained unprecedented access to Ai while working as a journalist in China. Her detailed portrait provides a nuanced exploration of contemporary China and one of its most compelling public figures.

Festivals:

2012 Slobodna zona, Belgrade Serbia, 2012 Sundance Film Festival, 2012 Abu Dhabi Film Festival, UAE, 2012 Amnesty International Film Festival, Vancouver, 2012 Bangkok Design Festival, 2012 Berkshire International Film Festival, 2012 Berlinale, 2012 Brisbane International Film Festival, 2012 Docaviv International Documentary Film Festival, 2012 DOXA Documentary Film Festival – Closing Night Film, 2012 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, Hong Kong, 2012 Hot Docs – Opening Night Film, 2012 Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival, Chzeck Republic, 2012 Melbourne International Film Festival, 2012 Milano Film Festival, 2012 Movies That Matter Festival – Youth Jury Award, 2012 Mumbai International Film Festival, India, 2012 New Zealand Film Festival, 2012 Passion for Freedom London Festival, 2012 Reykjavik International Film Festival, 2012 Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, 2012 Sydney Film Festival, 2012 Sheffield Doc/Fest, 2012 Taiwan Int. Documentary Festival, Taiwan, 2012 Tri-Continental Film Festival, South Africa, 2012 Zagreb Film Festival, Croatia

Awards:

Special Jury Prize for Spirit of Defiance at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival