Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang

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Paul A As "Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang" (2016 release from the UK; 79 min.) opens, we are briefly introduced to Cai, as he reflects on his roots in China, where gunpowder (a/k/a "fire medicine") was invented over 1000 years ago. We then go to "Bath, England, 1994" where Cai tries to mount the sky ladder project, but fails... At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary. Couple of comments: this is the latest from Oscar-winning Scottish director Kevin Macdonald. Here he seems to have been given unfettered access to Chinese performance artist Cai Guo-Qiang, best known for his sophisticated fireworks displays (2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, anyone?) but as it turns out Cai is so much more than that. The documentary works great and the results are exquisite, with stunning visuals to boot. The harder questions are not avoided (such as when Cai does another fireworks show for the opening of APEC 2014 in Beijing, knowing fully well that his work is used for political propaganda purposes). And as for the sky ladder project: it reminds me in scope and ambition of the works by the recently departed Christo, who never saw a building he couldn't wrap. Bottom line: this is one amazing and thoroughly enjoyable documentary. I missed "Sky Ladder" when it originally came out in 2016. Neflix just recommended it to me based on my viewing habits. Thanks Netflix! So glad I caught this. If you are in the mood for an entertaining documentary about the life and times of Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, and containing some out of this world footage, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Jerry W Although most people saw Cai Guo-Qiang's fireworks display for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, they probably weren't aware of the artist (I wasn't). This documentary will not only change that, but will offer an opportunity to see some of his spectacularly mesmerizing work. The objective of the doc is the chronicle his attempts to create the titular structure, a 1,650 foot ladder of fire. Along the way, there are displays of his other "explosive work," as well as the paintings he creates using gun powder. Director Kevin Macdonald tells his art career with wonderful detail, but his personal life is mostly glanced over. Still, just to see his magical creations is sufficient to make this doc a visually thrilling experience. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/15/21 Full Review Audience Member I think perhaps the critics are confusing the actual art of Cai Guo-qiang with this documentary. His art is impressive. This documentary is very slow paced and uninteresting at times. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Audience Member The impressive visual aspects of pyrotechnics lend itself well to a documentary and this one doesn't disappoint. However the movie largely passes over many personal and emotional details of the artist and instead focuses on his creative output which is admittedly extraordinary. So we're left with a high level and complimentary visual resume of a quite amazing artist only to wonder what untold stories lie beneath. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/19/17 Full Review edmund p https://letterboxd.com/edmundpoliks/film/sky-ladder-the-art-of-cai-guo-qiang/ Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Revolutionary and unique. A moving story about a brilliant artist. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang

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