Netflix to Stream Sky Ladder Documentary on Cai Guo-Qiang's Fireworks Art

A documentary on Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, known for his gunpowder and fireworks art, will be available on Netflix from October 14. Titled Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang, the film premiered at the Sundance Festival and is directed by Oscar-winning Scottish filmmaker Kevin Macdonald. The title refers to Cai's most ambitious work, Sky Ladder, a 500-meter-high fire ladder connecting Earth to the universe, realized in 2015 in his hometown after three failed attempts over 20 years. Cai, born in Quanzhou in 1957 and based in New York, has spent nearly three decades exploring fireworks as an artistic medium. His work combines spectacle with historical and contemporary themes, as seen in his 1996 performance The Century with Mushroom Clouds: Project for the 20th Century, staged in the Nevada desert on a nuclear test site. The documentary includes interviews, testimonials, and performance footage, highlighting Cai's unique ability to engage audiences instinctively while addressing human spirituality.