Artist, activist and director Ai Weiwei captures the global refugee crisis in this award-winning and breathtaking film called Human Flow.
The Okanagan Screen Arts Society presents Human Flow at the Vernon Towne Cinema Feb. 19.
More than 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war in the greatest human displacement since the Second World War. Shot in 23 countries over the course of one eventful year, this epic film journey gives powerful visual expression to this massive human migration and documents the courage, endurance and unassailable spirit of the displaced.
As a political activist, Weiwei has been highly and openly critical of the Chinese Government’s stance on democracy and human rights and has investigated government corruption and cover-ups. In 2011 he spent time in jail, was not allowed by the government to leave Beijing for a year and still cannot travel without official permission. As a result, he has become a symbol of the struggle for human rights in China.
He says, “The refugee crisis isn’t about refugees. It’s about us.”
Human Flow screens at the Vernon Towne Cinema Feb. 19 at 5:15 and 7:45 p.m. Tickets are available at the Bean Scene Coffee House and the Vernon Towne Cinema box office.