FRI, APR 25, 6:30 PM // Big Ideas
Special guests will explore the complexities of Ai Weiwei’s politically visionary art in the current global landscape and his powerful vision behind the operatic reimagining of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot. Guests: Director Maxim Derevianko. Moderator: Journalist Glenn Sumi. Please note: Chiang Ching is no longer able to attend.
About the film
Renowned Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei transforms Giacomo Puccini’s controversial Turandot into a mirror reflecting our turbulent times in this compelling documentary. Making his opera-directing debut at Rome’s majestic Teatro dell’Opera, Ai confronts the century-old work’s problematic orientalism and ethnic stereotyping with his customary unflinching vision. His radical reinterpretation infuses the classical production with urgent contemporary parallels—from the global impact of COVID to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, from refugee crises to public spectacles of cruelty. Once banned in China yet treasured in the Western repertoire, Turandot becomes Ai’s canvas for exploring the rise of totalitarianism and humanity’s complex relationship with power. Through intimate access to his creative process, Ai Weiwei’s Turandot witnesses how Ai’s distinctive artistic sensibilities and political activism converge, transforming the outdated politics of a canonical opera into a provocative meditation on whether art can truly challenge or change our fractured world—a question that remains as relevant as ever. The result is both a celebration of artistic defiance and a call to witness the power of reimagined cultural traditions. Gugi Gumilang.
Hot Docs Members and ticket package holders can obtain single tickets in an advance window from March 25-31. Single tickets are on sale to the public starting April 1.
Distributor and Sales Agent: Rise And Shine World Sales