Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

The subject of this American-made documentary is Ai Weiwei, a Chinese activist and artist. His strong convictions often get him in trouble with his government.

This film is praiseworthy for various reasons. One is its courage in exposing government abuse in a part of the world that is rightfully notorious for its human rights abuses. Another reason to praise the film is its fascinating human subject.

Ai is very likeable and proves to be a great example of courage in how he lives his life. When he is praised for this courage, he gives a fascinating rebuttal to this compliment.

The film covers the period of 2008-2011 with some flashbacks when Ai lived in New York City in the 1980s. His main concern in this film is an earthquake in the Sichuan region in 2008 where several children were killed in a badly built school. Many of his art projects are around this subject and the government's desire to cover up as much as possible about these events.

Considering the power of the Chinese government, it's easy to be cynical. The film shows by the end that there may a bit of hope while still remaining realistic. It is also informative in that it gets into the mind of an artist. While some works of art seem odd at first glance, the artist's explanations make the works more understandable and even fascinating.