Ai Weiwei
Born: 1957-08-28 in Beijing, China
Known For: Directing
Biography
Ai Weiwei is a Chinese contemporary artist and activist. Ai grew up in the far north-west of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly critical of the Chinese Government's stance on democracy and human rights. He investigated government corruption and cover-ups, in particular the Sichuan schools corruption scandal following the collapse of schools in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing Capital International Airport on 3 April, for allegedly economic crimes. He was detained for 81 days without charge. Ai Weiwei emerged as a vital instigator in Chinese cultural development, an architect of Chinese modernism, and one of the nation's most vocal political commentators. Ai Weiwei encapsulates political conviction and his personal poetry in his many sculptures, photographs and public works. In doing this, he makes use of Chinese art forms to display the Chinese political and social issues. After being allowed to leave China in 2015, he has lived in Berlin, Germany, and, since 2019, in Cambridge, UK, with his family, working and traveling internationally.
Filmography
2026
- ALLEN & AI
- Ai Weiwei: Sewing a Button as Self
2025
- Ai Weiwei's Turandot as Self
- Animality ... (Director)
- 8507days ... (Director)
2024
- The Trainer as Ai Weiwei
- A Clockwork Orange: The Prophecy as Self
- Free to Create - Artists in Exile as Himself
2023
- Laogai: Prison Nation - Inside China's Ruling System as Self - Interviewee
2022
- Aux arts et cætera as Self
- Ithaka as Self
- Eric Ravilious: Drawn to War
- Rohingya ... (Director)
- Opera di Roma: Turandot ... (Director)
2020
- CoroNation ... (Producer)
- Cockroach ... (Director)
- Vivos ... (Director)
2019
- Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies
- Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly as Self
- The Rest
- Vincent van Gogh Superstar as Self
- Ximei ... (Executive Producer)
2018
- Firing Line with Margaret Hoover
- Why Are We Creative? as Self
- Ai Weiwei en Buenos Aires as Himself
- Shouting Out ... (Director)
2017
- Human Flow ... (Producer)
- Ai Weiwei Drifting as Self
- The Chinese Lives of Uli Sigg
- 江天勇律师 ... (Director)
2016
- Heaven and Earth ... (Producer)
2015
- Artsnight as Self
- Straight ... (Director)
- Fukushima Art Project ... (Director)
2014
- Flowers of Taipei: Taiwan New Cinema as Self
- The Sand Storm
- Ai Weiwei's Appeal ¥15,220,910.50 as Self
- Ai Weiwei - Evidence as Himself
- Play of the Play ... (Director)
- You Know What I Mean ... (Director)
2013
- Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
- Ping'an Yueqing ... (Producer)
- Wenchuan Rebar ... (Director)
- Stay Home ... (Director)
2012
- Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry as Self - Artist
- Ordos 100 ... (Director)
- Beijing: The Second Ring ... (Director)
- The Crab House ... (Director)
- The Mala Desert ... (Director)
- Beijing: The Third Ring ... (Director)
- Chang'an Boulevard ... (Director)
- Discard the Old Path of Closed Doors and Rigidity and Reject Evil Attempts to Change the Party's Banner ... (Director)
- Remembrance ... (Director)
- 4851 ... (Director)
- KUN 13: Criticizing Ai Weiwei and Wu Haohao as Himself
- So Sorry ... (Director)
2011
- Who's Afraid of Ai Wei Wei?
- Hormone
- Flower Good Moon Round ... (Director)
2010
- One Recluse ... (Director)
- Ai Weiwei: Without Fear or Favour
- Sanhua ... (Director)
- Ai Weiwei: Sunflower Seeds as Himself
- A Beautiful Life ... (Director)
- Jingmei Wang ... (Director)
2009
- Disturbing the Peace as Self
- 冯正虎回家 ... (Director)
- Little Girl's Cheeks
2007
- Fairytale ... (Director)
2004
- Kulturplatz as Self
- Beijing 2003 ... (Director)
2003
- Eat, Drink and Be Merry as Self
1996
- The Daily Show as Self
1992
- Morgenmagazin as Self
1948
- Bambi as Self