SYNOPSIS
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry is the first feature-length film about the internationally renowned Chinese artist and activist, Ai Weiwei. In recent years, Ai has garnered international attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political provocations. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry examines this complex intersection of artistic practice and social activism as seen through the life and art of China's preeminent contemporary artist. From 2008 to 2010, Beijing-based journalist and filmmaker Alison Klayman gained unprecedented access to Ai Weiwei. 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. Klayman's detailed portrait of the artist provides a nuanced exploration of contemporary China and one of its most compelling public figures.
Awards
Best Storytelling in a Documentary | Nantucket FF, USA, 2012
NBR Award | National Board of Review, USA, 2012
Special Jury Prize | Sundance FF, USA, 2012
Must-See | Telluride Mountainfilm Festival, USA, 2012
Students' Choice Award | The Hague Movies that Matter Festival, Netherlands, 2012
CAST & CREW
Alison Klayman
Director
Producer(s)
Alison Klayman, Adam Schlesinger
Script
Alison Klayman
Director of Photography
Alison Klayman
Music by
Ilan Isakov
Sound
Matt Gundy, Alison Klayman
Edit
Jennifer Fineran, Alison Klayman
Production company(ies)
Muse Film and Television
Alison Klayman
She lived in China for four years working as a freelance journalist. Alison's debut feature documentary, Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, was shortlisted for an Academy Award and earned Alison a Director's Guild of America nomination. It premiered at the 2012 Sundance FF where it won a Special Jury Prize, and went on to win critical acclaim and many top honors, including an Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia Award, the highest accolade of broadcast journalism. Never Sorry has now been translated into over 26 languages and released theatrically around the world.
Filmography
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012).
