Italy / United States 2024, 77 min, English, Chinese and Italian, Hebrew & English subtitles
Can a musical piece from nearly a century ago still be relevant today? In his directorial operatic debut, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei explores this question through a radical interpretation of Giacomo Puccini’s final work, “Turandot.” To Ai Weiwei, “Everything is art, everything is politics,” and although he has no interest in operas, the artist who became a political dissident and a sharp critic of the regime in his country shows how staging a classical work of art at the Rome Opera House can be a form of social action that seeks to raise awareness and drive change. The film traces the fateful thread that connects Puccini’s creative vision and magnificent music to contemporary global crises; so fateful, in fact, that the crises jeopardize the production itself.
The screenings of this film have been made possible through the generous support of The Italian Cultural Institute in Tel Aviv.
Previous Festivals: Santa Barbara IFF, CPH:DOX, Minneapolis St. Pauls, Hot Docs
