Ai Weiwei's Turandot: A Political Twist on a Classic Opera
A new documentary, Ai Weiwei's Turandot, reveals how the Chinese dissident artist brought his unique style to Giacomo Puccini's classic Italian opera, Turandot.
In the documentary, Ai Weiwei explains why he, a visual artist, decided to direct the opera. He recounts his past experience working as an extra in Franco Zeffirelli's Metropolitan Turandot in the 1980s.
"Thirty-three years ago, I was working as an extra in Zeffirelli's Metropolitan Turandot,"he says. This experience sparked his interest in reimagining the story of the cruel Chinese princess.
Ai Weiwei's Turandot is a political twist on the classic opera, and the documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process.
Author's summary: Ai Weiwei directs Turandot with a political twist.