Ai Weiwei is known for many things – great architecture, subversive in-your-face art, and political activism. He has also called for greater transparency on the part of the Chinese state. Director Alison Klayman chronicles the complexities of Ai’s life for three years, beginning with his rise to public prominence via blog and Twitter after he questioned the deaths of more than 5,000 students in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The record continues through his widely publicized arrest in Beijing in April of 2011. As Ai prepares various works of art for major international exhibitions, his activism heats up, and his run-ins with China’s authorities become more and more frequent.
You May Also Like
Before the rise of big tech, social media and Marvel movies, Attack of the Show! chronicled the rise of nerd culture. G4TV’s flagship show launched the careers of hosts Olivia Munn and Kevin Pereira and was beloved by fans! But what really happened?
When fans cannot get close to the real thing, these professionals step in to fill the void. As the old adage goes, ‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.’ From a celebrity impersonator convention to their lives across the country, JUST ABOUT FAMOUS chronicles the few who have had the fortune, or curse, of looking like the most recognizable people on the planet.
How do you make one of the world’s most revered fashion brands your own? A look at the life and work of Gucci fashion designer, Frida Giannini. Taking advantage of rare, behind-the-scenes access, director Christina Voros shows how the Florentine trendsetter has been re-imagined in the past few years.
Louis Ortiz, a down on his luck 40-something Puerto Rican resident of the Bronx, looks in the mirror one day and believes he’s found gold—he’s a dead ringer for Barack Obama. With visions of finally living the American Dream, the charismatic Ortiz launches a complete makeover. He dons Obama’s trademark suit, adopts his mannerisms, mimics his voice and steps out onto the street as a presidential impersonator. Taken on by a casting agent, Ortiz and a gang of other political impersonators, including a Bill Clinton and a Mitt Romney, hit the road during the run-up to the 2012 presidential election to perform satirical debates for mostly Republican conventions, throwing Ortiz into conflict with his personal political beliefs. As Ortiz struggles to make ends meet, the distance between the White House and the Bronx becomes increasingly acute. The life of a president isn’t always as easy as it looks.
Country songwriter Luke Dick spent his toddler years living in the Red Dog, the rowdiest and most popular strip club in Oklahoma City. Now 30 years later, Luke has a toddler and a newborn of his own. As he began asking his mom questions about his own childhood, she turned out to be more hilariously forthcoming than he ever imagined.
History exists beyond what is written. The Africatown residents in Mobile, Alabama, have shared stories about their origins for generations. Their community was founded by enslaved ancestors who were transported in 1860 aboard the last known and illegal slave ship, Clotilda. Though the ship was intentionally destroyed upon arrival, its memory and legacy weren’t. Now, the long-awaited discovery of the Clotilda’s remains offers this community a tangible link to their ancestors and validation of a history so many tried to bury.
An account of the final tour of the band Rush, including interviews with the band, crew, and fans.
Follow four Americans as they travel the country in an effort to bridge political division. From Susan Bro, reluctantly called to activism after losing daughter Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, to Milwaukeean Steven Olikara, founder of the Millennial Action Project, they all seek to mend division and find the human bond that crosses the aisles of our partisan nation. This film is a balm before Election Day, reminding us that even within division, connection is possible.
After six weeks of gruelling competition, England battle reigning champions Australia. The two teams are inseparable after eighty minutes. Deep into extra time, there are just two minutes left on the clock. England rumble to within 40 yards of the posts. The ball is sent spiralling back to Jonny Wilkinson, the golden boy of English rugby, in a split second he drop kicks for goal and a chance for sporting immortality. It is an astonishing story of pressure, expectation and courage, tracing the roots of success back to the professionalization of the game in the 90s and culminating in that glorious World Cup campaign of 2003 that turned Woodward’s poisoned chalice into a golden cup.
Newly discovered interviews with Elizabeth Taylor and unprecedented access to the star’s personal archive reveal the complex inner life and vulnerability of the groundbreaking icon.
The award-winning feature documentary That’s Wild tells the inspiring journey of three teenage boys at-risk from Atlanta attempting to climb four 12,000 ft snowcapped peaks in the heart of the Colorado wilderness, all while overcoming their own personal mountains.
In 1984—before cell phones, the web, and reality TV, a young director set out to document a year in the life of a typical California high school. The result was “All American High”, an unusually honest and humorous look at 80’s teen life. Told through the eyes of a visiting foreign exchange student, the film presents an uncensored view of senior year in the era of big hair, punks and parachute pants. Thirty years after they lived it, some of the film’s original subjects return in new interviews, revisiting one of the most memorable chapters in their lives.
