The irony of personal freedom is that those who fight for it are robbed of their own. “Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly” explores the tension between the idea of liberty and the fate of those in pursuit of it by following the Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei as he creates @Large, an ambitious site-specific exhibition on Alcatraz Island.
The documentary, directed by Cheryl Haines, examines human rights issues by connecting Ai’s personal history and activism with the history of Alcatraz and with those of other political dissidents across time and the world. Also explored are the challenges of producing site-specific work, made more complex by an artist who can never see the space (Ai was under house arrest in Beijing at the time), as well as a brief meditation on the role of public art. The result: a dizzying narrative that doesn’t leave much room for processing.
When the film does slow down, it shines. Interviews with Ai and his mother reveal the psychological impact of the family’s exile to a labor camp in northeast China in the late 1950s, and directly link to two main components of the exhibition: “Trace,” a room with Lego portraits of 176 people imprisoned for their beliefs laid out on the floor; and “Yours Truly,” another room where visitors are able to write postcards to a select number of those incarcerated people, which would later be mailed.
The film explores the positive impact of this analog correspondence and features interviews with Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who in 2010 leaked archives of military and diplomatic documents, and John Kiriakou, a former C.I.A. agent who confirmed the agency’s use of torture.
Even for those familiar with Ai and his work, the film’s offerings of fascinating insights into his personal life and an exploration of the stakes of personal freedom make it a worthy viewing experience.
Ai Weiwei: Yours Truly
Not rated. In English, Mandarin and Arabic, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 16 minutes. Watch through virtual cinemas.
Source: Movies - nytimes.com
