Chinese activist Ai Weiwei combines the chutzpah of Michael Moore, the antic iconoclasm of Duchamp, and the humility of Gandhi, and it's not enough. Nor is the fact that he is China's most famous artist, with shows in Munich and London. Back home, he designed the 2008 Beijing Olympics "Bird's Nest" stadium, but fouled this nest by boycotting the opening of the games, protesting the eviction of poor people to make room for the site. Further offenses include listing the names of the thousands of children killed in the 2008 earthquake when their shoddily constructed schools collapsed, and "celebrating" with a crab dinner when the authorities razed his studio. Alison Klayman's documentary briskly tells his story, much of it recorded by Ai in his own documentaries, on his Web site, and on his Twitter feed. And she captures some of his spirit: on probation after house arrest, his message is "Don't retreat; retweet!"
IFFB 2012 | CHINESE + ENGLISH | 90 MINUTES | APRIL 29 @ 2:30 PM | SOMERVILLE THEATRE
