A few years ago, we were graced with the appearance of the excellent documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop
, made by the controversial and enigmatic Banksy. Who is Banksy? Exactly – no one knows who he is exactly. All we know is that he is a street artist known for his often-upsetting antics. For example: he once sneaked into Disneyland to plant a blow-doll in an orange jumpsuit and head covering (a la Guantanamo Bay inmate) in one of the rides. He also painted images on the Israeli West Bank barrier depicting such things as a hole in the wall with a tropical paradise beyond.
The best art challenges our dearest assumptions and forces us to reexamine our own lives and values; complacency is the norm, and in a world where corruption runs rampant and everything is designed to keep us merely content, it is incredibly important to open peoples eyes.
Another such individual is Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Officially, his country doesn't like him – China is notorious for its lack of freedom of speech – and he has gotten in significant trouble many times in the name of his art.
Ai Weiwei is the topic of the documentary
, which opens today at Baxter Avenue Theater as the first installment of this year's Asian film series. It is the directorial debut of Alison Klayman, who met Weiwei while working as a journalist in China. It is from this relationship that the documentary was born.
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
will screen at Baxter Avenue Theater for a week, ending on Wednesday, September 12.
Baxter Avenue Theater is located at 1250 Bardstown Road in Mid-City Mall. Further theater information and showtimes, as well as full details on the Asian Film Series, can be found at the theater's website.
Image: Internet Movie Database
