In conjunction with The Cinémathèque, we are pleased to present Alison Klayman’s award-winning documentary film Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, which examines the complex intersection of artistic practice and social activism as seen through the life and art of the artist. Please join us immediately before the film for an introduction by Carol Lu, artistic director and chief curator of OCAT Shenzhen. A critic and curator based in Beijing, Lu is a Contributing Editor at Frieze Magazine. She was a jury member for the 2011 Venice Biennale’s Golden Lion Award, a co-artistic director for the 2012 Gwangju Biennial and writes frequently for international art journals and magazines including e-flux journal, The Exhibitionist, Yishu, Tate Etc. and Contemporary. Her curatorial work includes Unscrolled: Reframing Tradition in Chinese Art (with Diana Freundl), opening November 15th at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Ai Weiwei is China’s most famous international artist, and its most outspoken domestic critic. Against a backdrop of strict censorship and an unresponsive legal system, Ai expresses himself and organizes people through art and social media. In response, Chinese authorities have shut down his blog, beat him up, bulldozed his newly built studio, and held him in secret detention. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry is the inside story of a dissident for the digital age who inspires global audiences and blurs the boundaries of art and politics. First-time director Alison Klayman gained unprecedented access to Ai while working as a journalist in China. Her detailed portrait provides a nuanced exploration of contemporary China and one of its most compelling public figures.

CONCEIVED AND DEVELOPED BY SHELLY ROSENBLUM