A Bucket of Corn: Ai Weiwei The Fake Case (2013)

Ai Weiwei The Fake Case (2013)

Plot: Held in solitude for eighty days against his will, world-famous artist Ai Weiwei returns home under house arrest to face an onslaught of journalists, art world luminaries, and his family. A documentary reflects on artist Ai Weiwei's battle against the lawsuit thrust upon him by the Chinese government in an effort to silence him.

My Review and Thoughts:

To start with I have to say this is truly a fascinating documentary. Really felt something that creates an interesting subject that tends to capture the viewer in all its truth. To be honest I had never even heard of this case and so it was an eye opening reality of truth and a twisted concept of control and ones passion to free speech and the art to express oneself.

Ai Weiwei is a voice to the idea of human rights through his social commentary and criticism to a government that he believes and many believe are taking away human rights and trying to control its people by arrest and hush hush tactics and extreme measures to persons they seem fit. He is a bold artist that expresses the reality of political in nature and also an artistry that is controversial in nature and yet beautiful in all its reality.

I think the brilliance of Weiwei stance is he knows who he is, what he believes in and expresses the value of human life and the want and need of being allowed to express and also demonstrate what he and so many feel is wrong.

This is a touching documentary and a documentary that expresses the art form of how the art world can make a statement through political and cultural realities expressed through the art created.

The amazing talented and extraordinary artist was held for over 80 days against his will all because he spoke out against the Chinese government through his writings and art. They accused him of tax-evasion so they could arrest him but in reality it was the government wanting to force him to shut up and stop doing his art. He is a true character of self-expression and the reality that he is one that cannot sit by and watch what he and others feel is a government that does wrong in trying to control its people through force. As human beings everyone should be able to act with self-expression through art and freedom of speech without a totalitarian Gestapo.

This is about his year-long house arrest where the Chinese government basically is controlling him. Cameras monitoring his studio and his home. Police follow him. He cannot speak about his case. His phones are tapped. The Chinese government is charging him with a lawsuit of tax invasion. This is the way they are going to try to take him down but the beauty of this man is that he wants China to change, he wants to fight for the human rights that every individual deserves and not to be controlled or forced to change or shut up as he sees, along with others, that the government is doing

He makes a statement that the Chinese government can arrest you whenever they wish. They don't have to have a means to do it. You can't get a lawyer or call your family and like he says it’s basically kidnapping.

There's a moment in the documentary where he's talking to his mother about how in her 20's his mother and father were individuals, intellectuals that spoke out and so on. I enjoyed how she brought up that in her time they would've just killed him but now they go about it in different means.

He is a very outspoken individual, criticizes this government because he has a basis to do so. He has a point. He has an understanding of what tragically is happening and so through his writing and through his art he showcases the real reality that's happening around him and because of this, they want to shut him up.

I love the personal reality of the documentary. The experience of watching his family, his wife and his child and the atmosphere. You could see a loving father. You can see that he believes in what he stands for and I think the documentary gives that personal reality of humanity. Not only are you experiencing a trumped up charge but you're experiencing the personal reality of him facing this charge, the tax evasion charge is for $2.5 million.

I think one of the most extraordinary realities is when people start donating money for his cause, it shows you the people want the change. It shows you the people want a better living condition. It shows you that they agree and understand and believe in him.

I think this is an expression on the idea of free speech and free artistry. To be able to speak about your opinions and to be able to give your knowledge and your understanding of what's wrong. I in all honesty think this is a film that should be required viewing in schools in the idea to showcase one man's journey, one man's experience on the idea of being free. Of being able to speak one's mind against a controlling government.

This is directed and written by a true visionary that makes the point of creating something important, thought provoking and very powerful. Andreas Johnson aced this documentary in showcasing real life and the struggle to fight oppression and the powers that wish to control. Johnson truly brought a personal vision of one’s man struggle.

I highly recommend this documentary. I highly praise it. I think it is a very important piece of film. It should be experienced by all of those who take freedom of speech and freedom to express for granted.