Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry at Miami Beach Cinematheque and O Cinema

Then, Klayman says, "June 22 came and went, and they gave him a piece of paper that said, 'Congratulations, your bail conditions are up.' But he still does not have his passport back. And he's living under this cloud of uncertainty."

A week after my conversation with Klayman, news broke that Ai had lost his appeal in the tax evasion case, which was based on allegations Klayman called "unsubstantiated." A $2.4-million fine was upheld, which Ai said he would continue to appeal.

Ai Weiwei (right) in Alison Klayman's film about the controversial artist.

Location Info

Map

Miami Beach Cinematheque

1130 Washington Ave.
Miami Beach, FL 33139

Category: Movie Theaters

Region: South Beach

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O Cinema

90 NW 29th St.
Miami, FL 33127

Category: Movie Theaters

Region: Midtown/Wynwood/Design District

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Details

Directed by Alison Klayman. 91 minutes. Rated R. Friday, August 17, through Wednesday, August 29, at Miami Beach Cinematheque, 1130 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-673-4567; mbcinema.com. Tickets cost $8 to $10. Friday, August 17, through Thursday, August 23, at O Cinema, 90 NW 29th St., Miami; 305-571-9970; o-cinema.org. Tickets cost $7.50 to $10.50.

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More About

• Alison Klayman
• Ai Weiwei
• Spike Lee
• Documentaries
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media

In the film, Ai likens himself to a chess player, "waiting for my opponent to make the next move." Given China's continued aggressive play against him, at what point might the artist forfeit the game? What if he were to get his passport back — is he committed to staying in China, or would he leave for good while he could?

"I hope that he still has that choice. I feel like there's uncertainty about his ability to leave or his ability to come back," Klayman says carefully. "But I think his goal is to remain based in Beijing as a Chinese citizen." She notes that Ai's critiques of China have a potency and a relevance coming from a resident that they might lose were he to become an expatriate.

"But," she acknowledges, "it may get impossible for him to create and to be himself in a total way."