In the middle of the hustle and bustle of the Berlinale, Ai Weiwei is shooting a film in Berlin. Admittedly, the Chinese artist is not here in person. His passport has been withheld by the Chinese government for the past four years. This is why he will be directing the film from Beijing—via Skype.
The idea is to create an autobiographically colored contribution to the episodic film “Berlin, I Love You”, modeled on the example of “Paris, je t’ aime”, in homage to the German capital. The lead is played by Ai Weiwei’s six-year-old son, who has been living in Berlin for half a year. Til Schweiger is in it too—he plays a magician.
Anyone who would like can watch the film being shot: From the 7th to the 9th of February, it will be shown live on the big screen at Potsdamer Platz. At the same time, a documentary on the project with the title “Free Heart” is being shot. There is also an art event to which everyone can contribute: Simply get together with a friend to form a heart with your hands and take a self-portrait. The photos are to be shown both at Potsdamer Platz and in China.
