Documentary backdrop image for Straight (2015)

Documentary backdrop image for Straight (2015)

201515 minGdoc-short

Straight

201515 minGdoc-short

Tons of twisted steel rebar from collapsed school buildings in Sichuan were collected by Ai Weiwei and straightened by craftsmen in his Beijing studio.

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Director

Synopsis

Tons of twisted steel rebar from collapsed school buildings in Sichuan were collected by Ai Weiwei and straightened by craftsmen in his Beijing studio.

People

Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiweidirector

Synopsis

Ai Weiwei travels through Sichuan province in the aftermath of the May 12, 2008 earthquake, documenting the deaths of students trapped in collapsed school buildings. These structures, built with substandard materials by corrupt officials, were known as tofu-dregs buildings. After the disaster, Ai collected tons of twisted steel rebar from the ruins. He transported the rebar to his studio in Beijing, where craftsmen straightened each piece, transforming remnants of tragedy into a new form.

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