“Mr. Johnsen offers viewers the challenge and pleasure of an important artist’s company, and a chance to appreciate anew his wisdom, his wit and his bravery.” — A.O. Scott, The New York Times
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case premieres Friday, October 2, 2015, at 10 PM on PBS stations.
Acclaimmed international artist Ai Weiwei is no stranger to controversy. Ai Weiwei’s artistic work (Sunflower Seeds, Beijing National Stadium) is as visible as his political activism. His subsequent kidnapping and imprisonment in 2011 by the Chinese government sparked the worldwide Free Ai Weiwei movement. Director Andreas Johnsen follows the artist after his release, and the security apparatuses that continue to terrorize his life.
“The film started out as a portrait of an artist, but has evolved to tell a universal story about a man and his struggle, a man on the horns of a tragic dilemma. It has become an epic tale in which Ai Weiwei is a metaphor expressing human existence in a closed, opaque, mind-controlling society,” writes Johnsen in his filmmaker statement.
Visit the POV companion site for Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case to watch the full film online for free for a limited time following the broadcast (Starting October 3, 2015), find out what’s happened since the cameras stopped rolling, and download a disccusion guide and other viewing resources. Share your thoughts and ask questions by using the hashtag #thefakecase.
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