Vivos

About

On a late-September day in 2014, students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College were brutally attacked by police forces and other masked assailants as they were travelling through the town of Iguala, Guerrero. Six people were killed and 43 students were abducted and never heard from again. Since then, the families of the students have lived in limbo with their unanswered questions—and the psychological and emotional toll of the endemic violence currently plaguing Mexican society.

With meditative, breathtaking photography and intimate interviews, renowned artist and filmmaker Ai Weiwei details the void stories of the Ayotzinapa victims. Focusing on the families directly affected by the deaths and disappearances, Ai Weiwei gives visual expression to an unsolved humanitarian crisis aligning with his known dissent against repressive governments. Vivos is a lyrical and unique approach to the tragedy that beautifully humanizes each and every victim as an individual and affirms they are forever vivos (alive) in the constant and present consciousness of their loved ones.

YEAR 2019

CATEGORY Documentary Premieres

COUNTRY Germany/Mexico

RUN TIME 112 min

LANGUAGE English and Spanish

SUBTITLES Yes with English subtitles

COMPANY AWW Germany GmbH

EMAIL fart.foundation@gmail.com

PHONE +4903047374532

Credits

Director
Producer
Editor
Associate Producers
Cinematographers
Consulting Producer
Composer
Researchers
Production Manager
Post-Production Supervisor
Line Producers

Artist Bio

Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei is renowned for making strong aesthetic statements that resonate with timely phenomena across today’s geopolitical world. From architecture to social media, Ai uses a wide range of mediums as new ways for his audiences to examine society and its values. Ai was born in Beijing in 1957 and currently resides and works in Berlin and Cambridge. He has made numerous documentaries about social and political issues that have been featured in major film festivals worldwide.