More than 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war, the greatest displacement since World War II. Filmmaker Ai Weiwei examines the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact. Over the course of one year in 23 countries, Weiwei follows a chain of urgent human stories that stretch across the globe, including Afghanistan, France, Greece, Germany and Iraq.
Cinematography
Drone shots that turn refugee camps into abstract art—then punch you in the gut.
Direction
Ai Weiwei inserting himself just enough to remind you: this could be any of us.
Director
Ai Weiwei
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ai Weiwei was himself imprisoned and had his passport confiscated by China—making his presence in these camps a statement on statelessness from experience, not observation.
The film's $3.4 million budget came entirely from Ai Weiwei's art sales; zero studio involvement meant zero editorial compromise on which borders to cross and when.
US
