AI WEIWEI'S TURANDOT

AI WEIWEI'S TURANDOT follows Chinese artist/activist, Ai Weiwei, during his operatic directorial debut at Rome Opera House, as he draws on Italian composer Giacomo Puccini's Turandot, as a backdrop for many issues that plague mankind.

Ai Weiwei’s Turandot, follows Chinese revolutionary artist, Ai Weiwei, as he brings his artistic vision and iconoclastic activism to Puccini’s Turandot at the Rome Opera House during his operatic directorial debut, using the opera as a backdrop to address many issues that plague mankind including the Ukraine war, refugee crises, the Covid pandemic, and more. One hundred years later, the film shows not only that Puccini’s opera is still as vital and relevant as ever, but also according to esteemed choreographer, Chiang Ching – his life-long friend featured in the film, it is also a reflection of Ai Weiwei’s life, and a fitting project for an artist known for his installations, sculpture and photography that denounce authority and champion human rights and freedom of expression.

“Puccini’s score melts the frost with soaring arias, and none is more iconic than “Nessun Dorma,” the ultimate power ballad, fully capable of thawing glaciers. Whether or not opera is your thing is beside the point; this is a documentary about making art, and its urgency is undeniable because it speaks to the world we inhabit now. And, please, dismiss the protests of opera traditionalists; this Turandot is not concerned with opulent sets, riddles, or even redemption. It is a requiem for those lost to disease, war, exile, and for the fading ideals of freedom and free speech, casualties in their own right. Artist Ai Weiwei and conductor Oksana Lyniv are not offering resolution, they are bearing witness. They have already lived what much of the Western world is only beginning to confront. And in an age addicted to spectacle and anesthetized by silence, that may be the lesson we most need." - Stage and Cinema

“Director and co-scriptwriter Maxim Derevianko, who comes to the film with a family history in opera and performance, concentrates on the shifting of Ai Weiwei’s visual and narrative motifs from a sympathetic look at refugees (which would include Chiang Ching and the acclaimed artist himself) to a consideration of survivors of a pandemic to a bombastic treatment of warfare, particularly the one taking place in Ukraine, which breaks out mere days after Lyniv arrives for the job. Ai Weiwei’s videos became more and more central to the opera, lending an avant-garde feel to the production. Puccini’s piece, which has always contrasted love with violence and the sensual power of authoritarianism, is given a truly a modern interpretation due to Ai Weiwei." - POV

Maxim Derevianko, is an award-winning director based in Rome, Italy. His latest feature documentary, AI WEIWEI’S TURANDOT, an awards contender in 2026, received international recognition, screening at major documentary festivals including CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, and Festival dei Popoli among others. The film, in which he also serves as writer and cinematographer, follows Chinese revolutionary artist, Ai Weiwei, as he brings his artistic vision and iconoclastic activism to Puccini’s Turandot at the Rome Opera House during his operatic directorial debut, using the opera as a backdrop to address many issues that plague mankind including the Ukraine war, refugee crises, the Covid pandemic, and more. His work is primarily focused on documentary filmmaking, where he explores the intersection of art, music, fashion, and performance. In 2023, he directed the five-part docuseries Ars Erotica with Euridice Axen for Sky Arte, produced by Bottega Finzioni—an ambitious project examining the role of Eros in the history of art. Derevianko has written and directed several feature documentaries, including Le Creature di Prometeo / Le Creature di Capucci, following legendary fashion designer Roberto Capucci during the creation of his final works for the Spoleto Festival, later presented at the Italian Chamber of Deputies. With Origen, he documented the post-lockdown return of some of Europe’s leading choreographers and dancers at Switzerland’s Origen Festival Cultural, featuring major institutions such as the Paris Opera, the Vienna Staatsoper, Zurich Ballet, and Nederlands Dans Theater. Earlier, he directed Cellos & Drums (2018) for the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, portraying acclaimed cellist Giovanni Sollima and his ensemble across performances in Rome and Amsterdam. Alongside his documentary work, Derevianko has developed a strong collaboration with major cultural institutions, notably the Rome Opera House, where he directed and produced multicamera broadcasts and trailers for opera and ballet productions. This work brought him into collaboration with internationally renowned filmmakers and artists including Sofia Coppola, Marco Bellocchio, and William Kentridge, as well as leading performers such as Roberto Bolle, Eleonora Abbagnato, and Angelin Preljocaj. In parallel, he has directed high-profile campaigns for global brands, with a notable ongoing collaboration with Netflix. His work includes international campaigns for series such as Berlin, starring Pedro Alonso, and Emily in Paris, starring Lily Collins. He has also directed campaigns for Bulgari—including Crafting Magnificence(2022–2024) and Octo Finissimo with Alessandro Borghi—and Utopia for Dior. Earlier in his career, he wrote, directed, and produced the multi-award-winning sci-fi short film BODYPIECES. Born into a family of ballet dancers, that background continues to inform his visual language and sensitivity to performance.