For the subject of his latest documentary, Ai Weiwei takes on nothing less than the plight of the more than 65 million people worldwide forcibly displaced from their homes. Weiwei’s camera shepherds audiences through various recesses of the planet, his encouraging smile bringing comfort and optimism to the uprooted hordes that cross his path. This isn’t merely an example of another well-intentioned filmmaker, lacking in street cred, and content to let their camera chronicle misery. Who better to document the global refugee crisis than one of their own? Like many of the people featured in the movie, the director was removed from his homeland for political reasons. The weight of his images speak volumes; Weiwei takes his role as an artist, bringing images of unfamiliar lands and peoples to audiences across the globe, as seriously as his work as an activist. Sadly, there’s little chance that a film like this will ever reach the eyes of those who need to see it most. (2017) — Scott Marks
This movie is not currently in theaters.