On Wednesday, the festival hosts the world premiere ofAnimality, the great Chinese artists latest documentary.
I love documentary only because it reflects the reality, not one persons opinion.
Sacred relationship is from the very beginning, Ai Weiwei observes.
Artist and filmmaker Ai WeweiIncipit Film/La Monte Productions
Many gods at that time could be birds or could be a tiger or could be a dragon.
But that [was a] time with limited information, knowledge.
So, they say animals have equal importance as human beings.
Caves painting at Lascaux, France, circa 16,000-15,000 BCEFine Art Images/Heritage Images via Getty Images
But of course, not today.
Only thing you see in the supermarket, meat is boxed, wrapped in plastic.
Increasing urbanization in contemporary society has brought a further separation from many animals.
And you see how difficult it is doing that.
Even in that context, modernity intrudes.
And the elephants just lost their job.
Not only the animal, the one who feeds the animal also lost their job.
But very often, we see the other animals are not ruling the world, but only humans.
[Humans] sacrifice other life and dominate too, arrogantly.
All arrogance is some kind of stupidity.
It puts everyone in the position to rethink about humanity, the director notes.
We [need] only see how we treat animals to understand who we are.
Ai Weiwei has directed 20 films covering a wide variety of topics.
His 2020 documentaryVivosexamined the shocking disappearance of a group of students who were seized in Mexicos Guerrero state.
I am almost immune to music, not only opera, because I grew up in silence.
Thats where I grew up.
Its my father in that black hole.
So, no music.
So, silence is my music and [Ive] never being trained or used to listen to music.
Nonetheless, he had a connection toTurandot.
I heard that they want some Chinese faces in the production, he recalls.
I and my brother have nothing to do.
So I was wondering what do they want me to do?
It turned out Zeffirelli gave him a bigger part than Ai had expected.
I found out Im not just an extra running on stage…
They wanted my face to be shown, so they [cast] me as the executioners assistant.
I have to help the executioner to polish his knife.
For those performances, he recalls, We get about $3 an hour.
You buy one, you get another one free.
We asked if that meant he got one hot dog, and his brother got the other one.
No, two for me, two [for my brother].
Then we have a large glass of papaya drink, he says.
It was very difficult, he concedes.
I know its going to be difficult because it is something you cant completely build yourself.
Its more like to do a renovation to a castle.
Which is kind of a struggle because Im more used to destroy or rebuild.
Im not very good in renovation.
I like renovation, but I still feel its too many restrictions.
A suitor must correctly answer three riddles to become her betrothed, with a wrong answer resulting in death.
Inevitably, the Italian composer viewed China from a Westerners perspective, emphasizing exoticism and revenge.
Ai takes an innovative approach, modernizing the production in multiple respects.
Ai Wei Wei is not only an artist and filmmaker, but an activist.
There is a political dimension to much of his work, sometimes subtle, sometimes overt.
InAnimality, the viewer is left to draw political or moral conclusions if they wish.
His production ofTurandotcan be experienced as musical entertainment.
