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Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case

Play trailer Poster for Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case 2013 1h 26m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 27 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
In 2011, activist and conceptual artist Ai Weiwei is kidnapped and imprisoned by Chinese authorities. Following his release, he faces a lawsuit filed by the Chinese government.
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Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case

Critics Reviews

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Drew Hunt Chicago Reader 06/19/2014
Ai granted Johnsen significant access to his personal and professional lives following his release, including his tender interactions with his young son, and the film's intimate nature recalls the verite style of Ai's own video work. Go to Full Review
Sheri Linden Los Angeles Times 06/05/2014
Remarkably intimate and astute. Go to Full Review
Kenneth Baker San Francisco Chronicle 05/29/2014
2/4
Although expertly edited, Johnsen's film, whose soundtrack ends with Nina Simone's "Feeling Good," presents a less effective portrait of Ai than Klayman's does. Go to Full Review
Pat Padua Spectrum Culture 08/31/2018
3/5
A bold political statement, affirming the freedom of expression in a time when it can land an artist jail. Go to Full Review
Joe Bendel Epoch Times 07/17/2016
4/5
A source of inspiration and outrage, Fake Case is highly recommended for all viewers who value free expression. Go to Full Review
Chris Stamm Willamette Week 01/02/2016
B
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case finds its titular subject beaten but unbowed. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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08/13/2015 The saga of Ai Weiwei continues. Just as captivating as Never Sorry, the Fake Case shows Weiwei's bold and defiant spirit as he is released from a ridiculous charge and makes the decision to keep going after the communist system. See more 01/02/2015 I find Ai Weiwei's tale engrossing and important. A- See more 07/23/2014 A peek at the life of Chinese artist and political dissident Ai Weiwei as he sits under unofficial house arrest awaiting a verdict on (likely fabricated) charges of tax evasion. This is an important document of a man who refuses to be bullied (and there's no bigger bully in the world than the Chinese government), so it's unfortunate that much of this day-to-day footage is mundane and assembled in such a way that the drama of the situation gets lost. See more 06/22/2014 Remarkable and important cinema See more 06/08/2014 It's an interesting technique, showing us Ai Weiwei's daily existence interposed with, essentially, title cards telling the important developments of his house arrest and lawsuit. An interesting technique; not necessarily a successful technique. It has moments of charm, though. See more Walter M @Harlequin68 06/06/2014 After he is released on bail and probation after being detained on charges of tax evasion, the dissident, renegade and gadly artist Ai Weiwei is told by his mother that if this had been happening in the 50's, the Chinese authorities would have simply had him shot. Instead, the authorities go for the death of a thousand cuts, removing his presence from the local interenet, as it is also remarked how much weight Ai Weiwei lost while in prison. But this different approach has less to do with how the Chinese government might have mellowed over the decades, than as to how the world has changed with almost everybody having a camera, thus making it that much harder for a government to disappear a promiment personality totally from view. Luckily, at least one of those cameras belongs to a camera crew which is where this documentary comes in, circumventing the rule against his giving interviews. Otherwise, Ai Weiwei continues to not only make the work of the Chinese government public but also against their liking simple nudity to pornography which is not only the custom there, as he also puts out his rotund form to make his point. To his credit, he is less interested in power than in inspring others which is where a spectacular flight of paper airplanes comes into play. All the while, he maintains an apartment tantalizingly across the street from the American embassy where a parachute would definitely come in handy. See more Read all reviews
Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 2011, activist and conceptual artist Ai Weiwei is kidnapped and imprisoned by Chinese authorities. Following his release, he faces a lawsuit filed by the Chinese government.
Director
Andreas Johnsen
Screenwriter
Andreas Johnsen
Production Co
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Rosforth, Danish Documentary Production
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 14, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$44.6K
Runtime
1h 26m
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