Ai Weiwei’s Turandot

FILM REVIEW by Nancy Pearlman

While the film Ai WeiWei’s Turandot is not about a natural environment, it shows how theater can be used to denounce authority and champion human rights and freedom of expression. The film does present a beautiful picture of a staged environment with creative costuming and production designs. The opera Turandot was recreated by Chinese revolutionary artist, Ai WeiWei. This documentary shows the creative process of his artistic vision and iconoclastic activism to Puccini’s Turandot at the Rome Opera House during his operatic directorial debut. He uses the opera as a backdrop to address many issues that plague today’s societies including the Ukrainian war, refugee crises, the Covid pandemic, and more. While I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see the entire production, I found it fascinating to see such creativity and to realize that Puccini’s opera is still as vital and relevant as ever. Esteemed choreographer Chian Ching collaborated on the staged performance.

I look forward to seeing more of Ai WeiWei’s installations, sculptures, and photography.