Ai Weiwei's Turandot opera to become documentary film

A documentary about Ai Weiwei's politically charged 2022 production of Turandot at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma will premiere as a special event at the 66th Festival dei Popoli in Florence. Directed by Maxim Derevianko, the film traces the opera's creation between 2020 and 2022 during the pandemic, evolving from a chronicle of the creative process into a universal reflection on art's role in crisis. Produced by Incipit Film and La Monte Productions, with AC Films, White Feathers Films, and Homemade Entertainment LLC, the national premiere is scheduled for Tuesday, November 4, 2025, with director Derevianko, Italian producer Marta Zaccaron, and American producer Christine La Monte in attendance. The festival runs from November 1 to 9, 2025. Choreographer Chiang Ching, a longtime collaborator of Ai Weiwei, appears in the film and describes the work as 'a narrative of resistance, identity, and the search for truth.' Derevianko, who grew up in a family where free speech was questioned, felt an artistic affinity with Ai Weiwei, seeing the opera as a message of love and freedom of expression rather than a mere performance.