Image: Jan Lindenau
Ai Weiwei's empire is 2,600 square meters in size, lies underground and was once a Berlin beer cellar. Chairs are now lying around in the vaults where barrels were once stored; Where workers used to crowd the corridors, young people sit at MacBooks and open design apps. The master himself sits in a dark room, a single light bulb illuminating his face. Before he starts the conversation, he takes a photo of me with his iPhone. After the conversation he will upload it to Instagram and link his new film: “Human Flow”.
Ai Weiwei, how many shots from your smartphone made it into the finished film of “Human Flow”?
Very little, maybe five percent of the entire film.
And yet they filmed most of the time, even though they had a camera team with them.
I have to keep my hands busy. Like a cowboy who always has a gun in his hand. I also appreciate the sensitivity when I'm involved. As a director you're mostly just looking at a screen, you're not really busy. But I want to recognize it in good time when a situation changes, instead of just standing on the side.
In “Human Flow” they show the global refugee crisis with footage from 23 countries, including Germany. Is it true that you got the idea for the film when you were on Lesbos with your son and saw a boat with refugees arriving?
That is not completely right. The first impression I had was when I was in China in 2015, under house arrest and without a passport. At the beginning of my film you see shots of a few people standing there quietly, as if a passport photo was being taken. I sent people from my studio to Iraq to do over 100 interviews and portraits. When I got my passport back and came to Germany, I discovered that some of these people were already in Berlin. So we met with them, we went to the camps here, we ventured to the limits. It's hard to imagine all of this if you haven't been there yourself. But once you see it, you can't help but get involved.
Ai Weiwei is one of the most important representatives of contemporary Chinese art. As a critic of the government, he is under constant surveillance and was imprisoned for months in 2011. For his new film “Human Flow”, which has been in cinemas since November 16, 2017, the activist traveled to refugee camps in 23 countries. As a young man, Ai Weiwei studied in Beijing and New York; today he lives in Berlin and is, among other things, a visiting professor at the University of the Arts.
You have a young international team, many of whom are new to Germany. Did your employees come to you to tell their story?
I don't need any more stories. I have been a refugee myself since I was born. My own story is enough for me. My father was exiled, I lived with him, I know what it feels like to live a life at the bottom. I know the effort that people have to make. That's why I accept people from all backgrounds in my team, whether they have a degree or not, whether they are educated or not.
Then what does it take to become part of your team?
You must be curious about life. They need self-esteem to find their own truth.
When the young Ai Weiwei went to New York at the age of 24, did he bring all of this with him?
No, I was very backwards. I grew up in a communist society, we didn't have a normal education - a lot of propaganda and brainwashing. So I had to de-educate myself first. That took many years in New York. I also had to learn what capitalism is, as well as concepts such as materialism, democracy, freedom, individuality.
Your life in New York as a young man – was it like the life of a normal student?
My life was never like that of a normal student. I didn't like life on campus, my experiences with collectives and discipline in China were not good. A certain individualism is deeply rooted in me. And in capitalism that's like a bomb: I had no job, no social security, and was on my own. It was hard, but it was an educational time that I needed.
In her film “Human Flow” there is a scene with young students sitting by the sea in Gaza and talking about their goals and hopes.
That was a beautiful scene. When we first started filming, we always said: Be careful when filming Arab women. So I was always cautious at first. But then I realized: They are like us, there is no difference. They also want to party, they want to be teachers. And they want to travel, but that's not possible because they live in a big prison. These are their circumstances and there is no way for them to change that.
We students in Germany also want to party, but we have the privilege of being able to go wherever we want.
This is not something to be proud of; in fact, it brings with it additional responsibility. When one's brothers and sisters suffer under such terrible conditions, one should not be proud of one's own privileges. You should rather be ashamed and consciously give them some of the opportunities you now have.
Have you done the same with your film?
Exactly. I am privileged, I have the opportunity to express myself. And if I didn't do that, what kind of piece of shit would I be?
The Chinese artist and activist about his new film "Human Flow".
