Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Short Film: The Sand Storm



Jason Wishnow — the filmmaker behind TED talks — directs this sci-fi short film about a dystopian future in which water is scarce.  The film, starring iconic Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei, was secretly films in Beijing during an air pollution spike that required the crew to work with face masks.  Ai Wei Wei, in goggles and a huge overcoat, plays a water smuggler who helps a woman struggling with the city in turmoil. The short premiered last week at the 41st Telluride Film Festival and on Fandor, the subscription film website.

Earler this year, Ai Weiwei shut down the Kickstarter for the nine-minute short, denouncing the creative team for co-opting his image and involvement as a promotional hook.  Director Jason Wishnow eventually issued an apology as well as a promise to de-emphasize Ai's role in the dystopian short, and in turn, Ai Weiwei has since given permission for the film to be shown.
"Communications lines dissolve, and a water smuggler navigates a tumultuous, dystopian city on the brink in this lyrical “low-fi sci-fi” tour through a bleak future - setting the stage for more to come."

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