Ai Weiwei's Art Installation At Cinema For Peace Gala 2016 At Berlin Konzerthaus

Cinema for Peace has been supporting filmmakers detained for exposing authoritarian regimes worldwide, including Burmese artist Zarganar and Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Among his many artistic achievements, Ai Weiwei is renowned for designing Beijing's Olympic Bird’s Nest Stadium. He is celebrated for both his art and his activism for human rights and freedom of expression. Less well-known is Ai Weiwei's prolific work as a documentary filmmaker. Ai Weiwei considers Cinema for Peace the first organization to recognize him as a filmmaker.

Given the significance of Ai Weiwei's documentary work, Martin Gropius Bau, in collaboration with Cinema for Peace, decided to showcase a selection of his films. Cinema for Peace featured these censored works in its "Stories of Ai Weiwei" Screening Series at Martin-Gropius-Bau Berlin, including the non-fiction film "The Crab House."

Ai Weiwei's films offer the world an uncensored perspective on living conditions in China, potentially bolstering opposition and improving the situation for artists like Ai Weiwei and others who challenge the government, facing human rights violations as a result. This effort aligns with Cinema for Peace's mission to promote harmony through awareness.