NACOGDOCHES - The inside story of "a dissident for the digital age who inspires global audiences and blurs the boundaries of art and politics" is the topic of the Stephen F. Austin State University School of Art's presentation of the film "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry" at 7 p.m. Friday, March 1, at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House in downtown Nacogdoches.
Part of the First Friday Film Series, which is presented by the SFA Art Galleries, the Friends of the Visual Arts and the Nacogdoches Junior Forum, the film tells the story of Ai Weiwei, described as "China's most famous international artist and its most outspoken domestic critic," according to information at http://aiweiweineversorry.com/.
"This film conveys the challenges faced by artists in China who insist on making public the political constraints on everyday freedoms taken for granted in the West, including imprisonment and censorship," said Richard Orton, chairman of the First Friday Film committee.
As a result of expressing himself through art and social media, Chinese authorities have "shut down Ai's blog, beat him up, bulldozed his newly built studio and held him in secret detention," the website says.
This film contains graphic language and is not suitable for children.
For more information about the free screening of "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry," call (936) 468-1131. The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House is located at 329 E. Main St.
Axe ’Em, Jacks!