Ai Weiwei: Coronavirus in China

Coronation chronicles the origins of the coronavirus pandemic in Wuhan, China. Filmed from January to April and shot by ordinary citizens in the epicentre of the outbreak under Ai’s meticulous direction from Europe, the feature-length documentary takes us into the heart of the temporary hospitals and ICU wards and the lives of the people whose individual liberties came up against the state’s brutally effective, militarized response to control the virus. Questions of personal freedom and public security, surveillance, transparency and the power of the Chinese state, central concerns in Ai’s work, are thrown into sharp focus by the conditions of the pandemic.

The documentary is available to rent digitally here. For this livestreamed event, Ai Weiwei will explore the unique process behind the film and the wider questions about state control, individual liberties and public trust that it raises. You will also have the chance to ask your own questions.

£5 plus £0.83 booking fee