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Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case

A Film by Andreas Johnsen

Community Engagement & Education

DISCUSSION GUIDE

www.pbs.org/pov

POV

|2DISCUSSION GUIDE


LETTER FROM THE FILMMAKER

Ai Weiwei is a man who does not give up

even when his life is in danger. He seems to

have an uncontrollable urge to resist and a

backbone that gets stronger each time

somebody tries to break it. He believes so

deeply in openness, transparency and in

the importance of expressing yourself that

it is the equivalent of the need to breathe.

You do not truly live if you do not—or can-

not—express yourself.

I’ve had close to unlimited access to film

his life, and I believe this is an expression

of his acceptance of my method and pa-

tience and persistence, as well as his will to

show the world that he has nothing what-

soever to hide.

From my very first trip to China back in

2010, I only imposed one rule on myself: to

be with Ai Weiwei as much as possible and

to film only when he was present, to see

what he sees and hear what he hears.

I've had no intention of giving a broad,

many-voiced view of China or letting a lot

of people express their opinions of Ai Wei-

wei. I’ll let the audience judge for itself by

seeing the China that Ai Weiwei sees, the China that he experiences: as a privileged artist, but also as a constantly monitored,

restricted and oppressed human being. My ambition was to be as “pure” as I could in my point of view, sharing the eyes of

Ai Weiwei in the way I looked at China.

The film started out as a portrait of an artist, but has evolved to tell a universal story about a man and his struggle, a man on

the horns of a tragic dilemma. It has become an epic tale in which Ai Weiwei is a metaphor expressing human existence in a

closed, opaque, mind-controlling society.

Andreas Johnsen

Director/Cinematographer, Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case

Filmmaker Andreas Johnsen.

Photo courtesy of Andreas Johnsen

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2 Letter from the Filmmaker

4 Introduction

5 Potential Partners

5 Key Issues

5 Using This Guide

6 Background Information

6 About Ai Weiwei

7 Chinese Government and Censorship

9 Ai Weiwei’s Art and Activism

11 The Fake Case

13 Selected People Featured

in Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case

15 General Discussion Questions

16 Discussion Prompts

21 Taking Action

22 Resources

23 How to Buy the Film

Writer

Faith Rogow, PhDInsighters Educational Consulting

Background Research and Reporting

Margaret Brown

Guide Producers and Background Research, POV

Eliza LichtVice President, Content Strategy and Engagement , POV

Aubrey GallegosManager, Community Engagement and Education, POV

Alice QuinlanAssistant, Community Engagement and Education, POV

Design:

Rafael Jiménez

Copy Editor:

Natalie Danford

Thanks to those who reviewed this guide:

Andreas JohnsenDirector/Cinematographer, Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case

TABLE OF CONTENTS CREDITS

Ai Weiwei has a serious problem with authority—govern-

ment authority to be precise. China’s government not only

kidnapped and imprisoned the world-renowned artist, but

after his release it conducted a show trial on baseless

charges of tax evasion and pornography—all in an effort to

stop his protests against his country’s repressive policies. Ai

Weiwei: The Fake Case (56:46 min.), a stirring documentary

by Andreas Johnsen, dissects the persecution and shows

how the government’s attempts to silence Ai Weiwei have

turned him into China’s most powerful artist and an irre-

pressible voice for free speech and human rights around the

globe.

INTRODUCTION

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Ai Weiwei.


Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case is well suited for use in a vari-

ety of settings and is especially recommended for use

with:

• Your local PBS station

• Groups that have discussed previous PBS and POV

films relating to China, repression and free

speech, including High Tech, Low Life;

Up the Yangtze; Better This World; and

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

• Groups focused on any of the issues listed in the

Key Issues section

• High school students, youth groups and clubs

• Faith-based organizations and institutions

• Cultural, art and historical organizations,

institutions and museums

• Civic, fraternal and community groups

• Academic departments and student groups at

colleges, universities and high schools

• Community organizations with a mission to

promote education and learning, such as local

libraries.

Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case is an excellent tool for out-

reach and will be of special interest to people looking to

explore the following topics:

• activism

• art and politics

• authoritarianism

• China

• communism

• dissidents and dissent

• free press

• free speech

• government corruption

• human rights

• journalism and democracy

• rule of law

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USING THIS GUIDE

This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in the power of human connection, designed for people who

want to use Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case to engage family, friends, classmates, colleagues and communities. In contrast to

initiatives that foster debates in which participants try to convince others that they are right, this document envisions con-

versations undertaken in a spirit of openness in which people try to understand one another and expand their thinking

by sharing viewpoints and listening actively.

The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide range of audiences think more deeply about the issues

in the film. Rather than attempting to address them all, choose one or two that best meet your needs and interests. And

be sure to leave time to consider taking action. Planning next steps can help people leave the room feeling energized and

optimistic, even in instances when conversations have been difficult.

For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips, visit www.pov.org/engage

POTENTIAL PARTNERS KEY ISSUES

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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About Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei is a Chinese activist and artist, born in 1957. His

father, Ai Qing, was a well-known Chinese poet. In 1958, Ai

Qing was arrested as part of the Chinese Anti-Rightist Cam-

paign. He was sent to a labor camp, and he continued to live

in exile with his wife and son, Ai Weiwei (who was one year

old when they were sent into exile), for 16 years. They re-

turned to Beijing in 1976, and a few years later, Ai Weiwei

moved to New York City.

In New York, Ai Weiwei studied for a short period of time at

the Parsons School of Design. He remained politically active

and critical of the Chinese government from afar, and in 1989

he went on a hunger strike following the Tiananmen Square

massacre. He didn’t return to China until 1993, when his fa-

ther became ill. As Ai Weiwei’s father was dying, he told his

son, “This is your country. Don’t be polite.”

Following his father’s death, Ai Weiwei remained in China,

and he has since become one of the most well-known Chi-

nese contemporary artists living today, renowned for his

works in sculpture and architecture. His most famous

work includes the Beijing National Stadium, known

as the “Bird’s Nest” (on which he served as artistic consult-

ant), and Sunflower Seeds, a sculptural piece made up of

thousands of handcrafted sunflower seeds created by Chi-

nese craftsmen. The piece is meant to provoke discussion

on economic exchange and objects that are made in China.

In 2010 ArtReview named Ai Weiwei the most powerful artist

in the world. Today, Ai Weiwei lives in Beijing.

Sources:

Art21. “Ai Weiwei.” http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/ai-weiwei

Ramzy, Austin. “The Activist Artist of China.” TIME, April 25, 2011.

http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2065248,00.html

Stevens, Mark. “Is Ai Weiwei China’s Most Dangerous Man?”

Smithsonian, September 2012. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-

culture/is-ai-weiwei-chinas-most-dangerous-man-17989316/?no-ist

Ai Weiwei.



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Chinese Government and Censorship

In the film, Ai Weiwei’s mother expresses concern over her

son’s outspoken criticism of the Chinese government. She

has experienced government repression first-hand, and she

believes her son might be in the same danger her husband

faced during the 1950s.

In 1957, inspired by reforms being made within the Soviet

Union, Chinese leader Mao Zedong made a speech encour-

aging Chinese intellectuals to come forward with their opin-

ions and criticisms of government policy and potential

reforms. Evoking a classical Chinese poem, Mao proclaimed,

“Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of

thought contend.” The movement that speech engendered

came to be known as the Hundred Flowers Campaign. Al-

though intellectuals were at first reluctant to speak

out, eventually thousands of writers, scientists and

academics began to express themselves on issues of cor-

ruption, low standards of living and intellectual freedom.

By July 1957, only months after his speech, Mao felt that the

constructive criticism he had requested was threatening the

stability of the Communist Party. He then launched the Anti-

Rightist Campaign of 1957 in an attempt to shut down the

movement. During this time, many of those who had re-

sponded to the government’s call for criticism were rounded

up and executed, or sent to labor camps. Ai Weiwei’s father,

Ai Qing, was one such detractor. He was arrested in 1958 and

sent to a labor camp, along with his wife and son.

Although China has seen a number of changes since the

1950s, it is still an authoritarian state that, according to

A detail from S.A.C.R.E.D.,

Ai Weiwei's artistic replication of his time in prison.



|8DISCUSSION GUIDE


Human Rights Watch, “systematically curbs fundamental

rights, including freedom of expression, association, assem-

bly and religion, when their exercise is perceived to threaten

one-party rule.” In the government’s attempt to monitor In-

ternet use, it has developed a sophisticated system of cen-

sorship online, commonly called the “Great Firewall.” The

Great Firewall has screened and blocked online content ac-

cessed within the country since 1998. Blocked and censored

content ranges from international websites and sites with

political content to services like Google and Facebook. While

the Chinese government encourages the use of digital tech-

nology for economic advancement, it has simultaneously be-

come one of the most restrictive national governments in

the world when it comes to policing online political commu-

nication. Persecution of bloggers and Internet journalists

who participate in online activism is not uncommon. Justifi-

cation for imprisonment is often limited to vague and un-

substantiated claims that state secrets have been leaked.

Sources:

Armstrong, Paul. “Big Brother Still Watching: Internet Censorship

On the Up, Report Says.” CNN, September 28, 2012.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/27/world/world-internet-

freedom-report/

Dou, Eva. “China’s Great Firewall Gets Taller.” The Wall Street Journal,

January 30, 2015. http://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-great-firewall-

gets-taller-1422607143

Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Hundred Flowers Campaign.”

http://www.britannica.com/event/Hundred-Flowers-Campaign

Freedom House. “China.”

http://www.freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2012/china

King, Gilbert. “The Silence That Preceded China’s Great Leap Into

Famine.” Smithsonian, September 26, 2012. http://www.smithso-

nianmag.com/history/the-silence-that-preceded-chinas-great-leap-into

-famine-51898077/?no-ist

Human Rights Watch. “World Report 2015: China.”

https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2015/country-chapters/china-and-

tibet

Xu, Beina. “Media Censorship in China.” Council on Foreign Relations,

April 7, 2015. http://www.cfr.org/china/media-censorship-china/p11515

Xuecun, Murong. “Scaling China’s Great Firewall.” The New York Times,

August 17, 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/18/opinion/murong-xuecun-scaling-

chinas-great-firewall.html

An in-progress section of S.A.C.R.E.D.,

depicting the inside of Ai Weiwei's detention cell.



|9DISCUSSION GUIDE


Ai Weiwei’s Art and Activism

Ai Weiwei’s art is often political—one of his most recogniza-

ble works is a series of photographs of himself flipping off fa-

mous monuments, including the White House in

Washington, D.C., and Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Ai Wei-

wei was hired by Swiss architect firm Herzog and de Meuron

to consult on its stadium for the 2008 Olympics, held in Bei-

jing, and he conceived of the now famous Bird’s Nest sta-

dium. However, Ai Weiwei later publicly denounced the

Beijing Olympics. He said he hated that the stadium he

helped design was being used to gloss over China’s human

rights abuses. He deemed the event a “pretend smile” and

called for an international boycott.

One of Ai Weiwei’s most famous political pieces is Accord-

ing to What?, an art installation created in response to

the Sichuan earthquake in 2008. On May 12, 2008, a

magnitude 7.9 earthquake ripped apart the Chinese

province of Sichuan. The earthquake killed approximately

87,150 people, and about 375,000 were injured by falling de-

bris. An estimated 4.8 million people were left homeless. A

disproportionate number of the buildings destroyed by the

earthquake were schools—a topic of much controversy in

the weeks and months that followed. It’s estimated that

more than 7,000 schoolrooms crumbled, killing approxi-

mately 10,000 students. In some areas, schools were the

only buildings that collapsed. This ignited widespread alle-

gations of corruption against education ministry officials and

contractors, who were suspected of building schools that

failed to meet government standards in order to siphon off

money and pocket the profit. According to What? features

multiple works related to the Sichuan earthquake and doc-

uments the names of the dead children. Ai Weiwei also pub-

Detail from S.A.C.R.E.D..



|10DISCUSSION GUIDE


lished all of the names of the dead children on his blog. He

began blogging in 2006, devoting his website to scathing

social commentary, and criticism of the Chinese govern-

ment, in addition to his thoughts on art and architecture.

When Ai Weiwei began to publish details about the Sichuan

earthquake on his blog in 2009, the government shut down

the site. A few months later, he was attacked by police so

brutally that he had to undergo emergency brain surgery.

Sources:

Ai Weiwei. “Ai Weiwei’s Blog.” The MIT Press, March 2011.

https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/ai-weiweis-blog

Aloi, Daniel. “Ai Weiwei Literally Smashes China’s Traditions in Art and

Architecture.” Cornell Chronicle, November 15, 2006.

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2006/11/ai-weiwei-smashes-

chinas-traditions-art-and-architecture

“Artist Behind Beijing’s ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium Boycotts Olympics.” CBC

Arts, August 11, 2007. http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/artist-behind-

beijing-s-bird-s-nest-stadium-boycotts-olympics-1.646601

Block, Melissa. “In ‘According to What?’ Ai Weiwei Makes

Mourning Subversive.” NPR, January 23, 2013.

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/23/169973843/in-according-to-what-ai-

weiwei-makes-mourning-subversive

Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Sichuan Earthquake of 2008.”

http://www.britannica.com/event/Sichuan-earthquake-of-2008

Osnos, Evan. “It’s Not Beautiful.” The New Yorker, May 24, 2010.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/05/24/its-not-beautiful

Ramzy, Austin. “The Activist Artist of China.” TIME, April 25, 2011.

http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2065248,00.html

“Sichuan 2008: A Disaster on an Immense Scale.” BBC News, May 9,

2013. http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-22398684

“Sichuan Earthquake.” The New York Times, May 6, 2009.

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/earthquakes/sichu

an_province_china/index.html

Wong, Edward. “China Admits Building Flaws in Quake.” The New York

Times, September 4, 2008.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/05/world/asia/05china.html

Scultpting Ai Weiwei to look like he did when he

got out of prison.



|11DISCUSSION GUIDE


The Fake Case

On April 3, 2011, Ai Weiwei was arrested at the Beijing air-

port as he prepared to board a flight to Hong Kong. His ar-

rest appeared to have been part of a crackdown that saw

many other artists, writers and bloggers taken into custody.

Despite international outcry, no word was issued about Ai

Weiwei'swhereabouts for several days, and he was held in

jail with no contact with the outside world for 81 days. The

official charges announced for his arrest were economic

crimes, in the form of tax evasion, as well as pornography. At

the time of Ai’s arrest, the Chinese government was in-

creasing arrests of lawyers and political activists, out of fear

that the ongoing Arab Spring might trigger similar uprisings

in China.

While Ai Weiwei was still in captivity, his Sunflower

Seeds was on display at the Tate Modern in London.

The museum staged a protest of Ai Weiwei's arrest and the

Chinese government’s detention of 49 other Chinese artists

and writers. The museum displayed pictures of sunflower

seeds bearing the names of the detainees, including Ai Wei-

wei’s, on the grass outside the museum. The words RE-

LEASE AI WEIWEI were displayed prominently on the side

of the Tate building for a short period of time. In addition to

the protest staged at the Tate, prominent international fig-

ures, such as New York City’s then mayor, Michael

Bloomberg and British artist Anish Kapoor, demanded Ai

Weiwei’s release. The international outcry over Ai’s arrest

likely played a significant role in his release.

100 yuan notes—money that was donated to Ai Weiwei

by his supporters.



|12DISCUSSION GUIDE


Ai Weiwei was released on bail in June 2011, but was not al-

lowed to travel outside of China and was forbidden to dis-

cuss his case. Following his release, authorities demanded

that Ai Weiwei pay 12 million yuan (1.85 million U.S. dollars)

in “back taxes” and fines for his alleged economic crimes, in-

cluding tax evasion. Ai maintained that the allegations

against him and his company, Fake Cultural Development

Ltd, were false, and an attempt on the part of the Chinese

government to silence him.

A few months after his release, Ai Weiwei's case went to trial,

and in November 2011 he was charged with tax evasion. He

chose to appeal the decision—an action he was able to fi-

nance using the donations he received from his supporters

all over the world. That first appeal was rejected in July 2012.

A second and final appeal was lost in September 2012. Ai

was unable to file another appeal, and he stated that the de-

cision to charge him with tax evasion came from a “barbaric

and backward legal system.” In his appeals, Ai Weiwei and

his lawyers accused the tax bureau of violating laws regard-

ing the handling of witnesses and the gathering of evidence.

An article in The Guardian quoted Nicholas Bequelin, senior

Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, saying, “The tax

case against Ai Weiwei was politically motivated from the

outset—an 11th hour pretext pulled out of a hat by the gov-

ernment to justify Ai’s unlawful arrest and secret detention

for 81 days.”

Ai Weiwei’s passport was confiscated following his arrest,

and it was not returned to him until July 22, 2015, almost four

years later.

Sources:

“Ai Weiwei Loses Appeal Against $2.4m Tax Fine.” The Guardian,

September 27, 2012.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/27/ai-weiwei-loses-

appeal-tax-fine

Branigan, Tania. “Ai Weiwei Firm to Be Closed Down by Chinese

Authorities.” The Guardian, October 1, 2012.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/01/ai-weiwei-firm-

closed-china

“China artist Ai Weiwei’s Tax Evasion Appeal Rejected.” BBC News,

July 20, 2012. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-18925320

“China Demands Ai Weiwei Pay $1.85 Million in Taxes, Fines.” Reuters,

June 28, 2011. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/28/us-china-

artist-idUSTRE75L3U520110628

“Chinese Authorities Agree to review Ai Weiwei Tax Case.” BBC News,

January 6, 2012. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-16437314

Thorpe, Vanessa and Tania Branigan. “Tate Modern Protest Calls for

Release of Missing Chinese Dissident Artist Ai Weiwei.” The Guardian,

April 9, 2011. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/10/tate-

modern-protest-remembers-chinas-missing-dissidents

Wong, Edward. “Dissident Chinese Artist is Released.” The New York

Times, June 22, 2011.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/world/asia/23artist.html?_r=0

SELECT PEOPLE

|13DISCUSSION GUIDE


Ai Weiwei - Chinese artist and activist. Wang Fen - Ai Weiwei’s girlfriend and the mother of his only

child, son Ai Lao (born 2009). Wang Fen is a film director and

editor.

Gao Ying - (b. 1933) Ai Weiwei’s mother and the widow of

poet Ai Qing, Ai Weiwei’s father.

Larry Warsh - An art collector based in New York, Warsh is

the founder of AW Asia, a private organization in New York

City that promotes Chinese contemporary art.

Selected People Featured in Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case

SELECT PEOPLE

|14DISCUSSION GUIDE


Selected People Featured in Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case

Angus Walker - Former China correspondent for Britain’s ITV. Silke Ballweg - A German journalist from Südwestdeutscher

Rundfunk.

Pu Zhiqiang - The only lawyer remaining on Ai Weiwei’s case,

and probably China´s most prominent human rights lawyer.

Immediately after the film, you may want to give people a

few quiet moments to reflect on what they have seen or

pose a general question (examples below) and give people

some time to themselves to jot down or think about their

answers before opening the discussion:

• If a friend asked you what this film was about, what

would you say?

• If you were one of the journalists interviewing Ai

Weiwei, and he was free to answer, what would you

ask?

• What’s one thing you learned from this film that you

wish everyone knew? What would change if

everyone knew it?

• Describe a moment or scene in the film that you

found particularly disturbing or moving. What was it

about that scene that was especially compelling for

you?

GENERAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

|15DISCUSSION GUIDE


Ai Weiwei and son Ai Lao.


DISCUSSION PROMPTS

|16DISCUSSION GUIDE


Art and Politics

The filmmaker chose to open this film with a Pablo Picasso

quote: “Painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an

instrument of war.” Why do you think that is?

According to Ai Weiwei, the Chinese government thinks that

“nudity is pornography,” so it objects to art that includes nu-

dity. How would you distinguish between art or political ex-

pression and pornography? Would you be comfortable with

public displays of all the art shown in the film? Why or why

not?

Ai Weiwei acknowledges that the people who posed nude

for him were doing something dangerous. Why do you sup-

pose they were willing to take the risk? How might nudity

relate to political activism on issues of liberty and trans-

parency?

A journalist attempting to interview Ai Weiwei despite his

probation restrictions suggests that the artist simply stand

near his artwork while the reporter does a voiceover. Ai

suggests that he be filmed taking a shower instead.

Why do you think the artist suggests a shower?

What does it say about democracy’s embrace of free ex-

pression that the journalist is stymied by “decency” require-

ments?

What was your reaction to the recreation of Ai Weiwei’s cell

and experience in detention?

Repressing Free Speech

The film indicates that China’s arrest, imprisonment and on-

going harassment of Ai Weiwei is intended (in his words) to

send “a clear message to other artists and to critics of the

government in China—the government can arrest anyone at

any time.” What message(s) do you think the world actually

received?

According to the film, the more famous Ai Weiwei became,

the more the Chinese government wanted to silence him,

“But that [high] profile also meant there were loud calls for

Ai Weiwei and his staff creating an art installation.


DISCUSSION PROMPTS

|17DISCUSSION GUIDE


his release.” What role does the ability to generate public at-

tention play in the success or failure of activism? Why does

visibility matter to a government like China’s?

One of Ai Weiwei’s nude models reports that his residence

has been rendered invisible online: “When I came here last

year, I used Google Maps to find your place. But this year

your place cannot be found on the Net...neither Baidu nor

Google can locate number 258.” What does the government

gain by attempting to erase Ai Weiwei’s online presence?

What does it lose?

Ai Weiwei describes the case that the government brought

against him: “It's a fake case about a Fake company. But the

Fake company is a real company. The Fake case is a real

case, but it’s fake. It’s fabricated.” What statement do you

think Ai Weiwei was making by naming his company “Fake”?

Why are repressive governments especially vulnerable to

“doublespeak”?

Ai Weiwei says he accepts having his phone tapped be-

cause, “I have no secrets, you [the authorities] have se-

crets.” He also explains the webcam in his home,

saying, “I just help you guys to monitor me 24 hours

a day—that’s what you want, right?” In your view, is this

openness an expression of narcissism and exhibitionism, or

is it a political statement? If it is the latter, what is the mes-

sage? Why doesn’t the government approve?

Speaking Out

What insights did the film offer about the role of a free press

in a democracy?

The government and Ai Weiwei have very different narra-

tives about what the artist has done and why he has been

prosecuted, detained and released. What role do media and

online technologies play in determining which version the

public comes to accept?

Ai Weiwei Skyping with his friend Jerome A. Cohen,

a professor of law at New York University School of Law.

Cohen is an expert in Chinese law and an advocate of

human rights in China.


DISCUSSION PROMPTS

|18DISCUSSION GUIDE


The Chinese government said it was holding Ai Weiwei for

“subversion of the state power.” What, exactly, is subversive

about what the artist says and does? Under what circum-

stances has free speech been deemed subversive, including

in the U.S.?

Ai Weiwei says, “If you let me have the radio or free press for

one month, I will make the whole thing change. Just one

month. It’s enough.” Do you agree? Do you think activists in

the United States or other democratic countries would

agree? What do activists like Ai see as the link between free

speech and democracy?

Ai Weiwei lives next to the U.S. embassy and observes long

lines of people waiting for visas, noting, “All these people,

waiting in line are trying to get to the United States. Each

day they have 3,000 people...I guess people just want

to escape.” What do you think the people in line

know about the U.S. that citizens of the U.S. might take for

granted?

A journalist asks Ai Weiwei if his difficult year made him

weaker. He responds, “I have a difficult life. It doesn’t make

me weaker or stronger—I just have to face it...I’m not really

scared, but of course it’s very scary.” Given what you see

and hear in the film, how would you describe the affects of

detention and harassment on the artist? What lessons does

this offer for detention policies and techniques used by your

government?

In response to questions about why he would risk speaking

out, Ai Weiwei says, “I think, if I don't show my voice and

don’t act as I’ve always believed, then I think I am dead

Ai Weiwei.


DISCUSSION PROMPTS

|19DISCUSSION GUIDE


already. Even if I have a living form, I will see myself as a

dead person.” If you were in his shoes, how would you rec-

oncile this feeling with his mother’s concern that if Ai con-

tinues speaking out, her grandson may grow up without his

father? What would you be willing to risk in order to stand

up for the values you hold dear?

Ai Weiwei is uncomfortable with the idea that people have

sent him money as an act of charity. His friend Jeremy Wing-

field argues that the letters with cash are “not about charity.”

If the cash isn’t charity, what is it?

The Rule of Law

When the government refuses to return Ai Weiwei’s pass-

port, he urges it to follow its own rules. And when asked why

he keeps “pushing the limit,” he says, “I just want to exercise

some of my rights... I just exercise the rights the constitution

gave to everybody.” Why would it be important for an ac-

tivist who routinely challenges authority to invoke the

rule of law?

At the same time that Ai Weiwei insists that the government

follow its own rules, he is critical of those involved in his ar-

rest and detention because for them, “Everything is about

taking orders.” How would you reconcile these two seem-

ingly contradictory sentiments? What’s the difference be-

tween “following the law” and “taking orders”?

After Ai Weiwei’s lawyer, Pu Zhiqiang, complains about a

court being dismissive of his arguments, a frustrated Ai Wei-

wei says, “The reason we go to court to solve our problems

is that we trust the law and we are willing to let the court

settle our dispute.” When citizens can’t depend on courts for

justice, what are the consequences for society?

The day Ai Weiwei's probation ends.


China

Ai Weiwei observes that despite 60 years in power and 80

million members, China’s Communist Party still acts “like an

underground party.” He asks “Why you make it like a secret

society?” What do you think the answer is?

Ai’s mother says of her son’s treatment, “Different times, but

same circumstances... You were punished just because you

had a different opinion.” How is this evocative of his parents’

experiences in 1957? What’s the lesson about the degree to

which the Chinese government has changed since then?

Ai Weiwei must call a police contact for permission to go

anywhere. The filmmaker is surprised that the call is friendly

and respectful. Ai explains, “You know the system, they all

know the system and we all know the system’s problems.

But we’re all victimized by the system, you know.” How is

the police officer victimized by the system?

Ai Weiwei objects to China’s current status as “the produc-

tion quarters of the world. I mean, just like servants. China is

slavery now to the world. You know, cheap labor.” What re-

sponsibility does the West have for creating and sustaining

this situation? What is the potential long-term impact on

China’s people if its economy is based primarily on providing

multinational corporations with cheap labor?

When asked what he thinks will happen to China, Ai Weiwei

responds, “One day it will completely collapse. I’m trying to

figure out which day. It’s very hard to figure out.” What do

you think will happen to China (and what’s your evidence)?

DISCUSSION PROMPTS

|20DISCUSSION GUIDE


Ai Weiwei and son Ai Lao.


Additional media literacy questions are available at:

www.pbs.org/pov/educators/media-literacy.php

Taking Action

• Work with an organization, such as Amnesty International, that

brings to light the cases of political prisoners like Ai Weiwei.

• Learn more about Ai Weiwei and his struggles for liberty and free

speech. You can find out about current efforts at

http://www.friendsoffreeexpression.com

• Together with your local library, create an art exhibit and speaker

series focused on free speech and/or the role of a free press in a

democracy.

|21DISCUSSION GUIDE


A photoshoot in response to donations for Ai Weiwei's cause.


TAKING ACTION

Ai Weiwei

AI WEIWEI

www.aiweiwei.com

Ai Weiwei’s website features his artworks and occasional

blog posts. Also of interest is the live webcam from Ai

Weiwei’s home that is mentioned in the film:

http://weiweicam.com/

FREE AI WEIWEI

www.freeaiweiwei.org

This site was mounted by Ai Weiwei’s supporters, who

often use it to say things that he cannot.

FRONTLINE: WHO’S AFRAID OF AI WEIWEI?

www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/ai-wei-wei

The website for this 2012 PBS documentary includes a

range of background information about the artist and his

activism.

Supporting Open Societies

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

www.amnestyusa.org

An international organization dedicated to exposing

injustice and promoting human rights. In 2015, Ai Weiwei

was named a joint recipient of Amnesty International’s

Ambassador of Conscience Award, along with Joan Baez.

GLOBAL VOICES

www.globalvoicesonline.org

This site aggregates news from a volunteer community of

more than 1,200 writers who find, translate and report the

most compelling and important stories from marginalized

and misrepresented communities.

HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST

www.humanrightsfirst.org

This human rights organization challenges the U.S. to live

up to its own ideals of freedom and justice. The website

offers fact sheets on a range of issues, from closing

Guantánamo to responding to the rise of far-right parties

in Europe.

MOVEMENTS

www.movements.org

This project of the organization Advancing Human Rights

(www.advancinghumanrights.org) crowdsources liberty by

connecting dissidents in closed societies with individuals

around the world with skills to help. It also provides

information and strategies on how to use digital media to

publicize dissident struggles.

REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS

http://en.rsf.org

This group supports freedom of information as the

foundation of democracy. Its resources include handbooks

for journalists, campaigns to help journalists who have

been arrested and research on the status of press freedom

around the world.

RESOURCES

|22DISCUSSION GUIDE


FILM-RELATED WEB SITES

AI WEIWEI: THE FAKE CASE

www.thefakecase.com

The film’s website provides clips from the film and a press

kit with background information.

ROSFORTH

http://www.rosforth.com

Filmmaker Andreas Johnson's website includes information

on Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case, as well as his past and

upcoming films.

Original Online Content on POV To further enhance the broadcast, POV has produced an interactive website to enable viewers to explore the film in

greater depth. The Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case website—www.pbs.org/pov/aiweiwei—offers a streaming video trailer

for the film; an interview with the filmmaker; a list of related websites, articles and books; a downloadable discussion

guide; a standards-aligned lesson plan; a downloadable reading list; and special features.

HOW TO BUY THE FILM

For information on how to purchase Ai Weiwei: The Fake Casefor home viewing or for educational/institutional use, visit http://www.kinolorber.com/.

The See it On PBS logo is a trademark of the Public Broadcasting Service and is used with permission. All rights reserved.

Produced by American Documentary, Inc.,

POV is public television’s premier showcase

for nonfiction films. The series airs Mondays at

10 p.m. on PBS from June to September, with primetime specials

during the year. Since 1988, POV has been the home for the

world’s boldest contemporary filmmakers, celebrating intriguing

personal stories that spark conversation and inspire action. Always

an innovator, POV discovers fresh new voices and creates inter-

active experiences that shine a light on social issues and elevate

the art of storytelling. With our documentary broadcasts, original

online programming and dynamic community engagement cam-

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POV's Community Engagement and Education team works with

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Front cover: Ai Weiwei. Photo courtesy of Andreas Johnsen

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