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Over 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war in the greatest human displacement since World War II. Human Flow, an epic film journey led by the internationally renowned artist Ai Weiwei, gives a powerful visual expression to this massive human migration. The documentary illustrates both the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact. Captured over the course of a year in 23 countries, the film follows a chain of urgent human stories that stretches across the globe in countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, France, Greece, Germany, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, and Turkey.

Human Flow is a witness to its subjects and their desperate search for safety, shelter and justice: from teeming refugee camps to perilous ocean crossings to barbed-wire borders; from dislocation and disillusionment to courage, endurance and adaptation; from the haunting lure of lives left behind to the unknown potential of the future. Human Flow comes at a crucial time when tolerance, compassion and trust are needed more than ever. This visceral work of cinema is a testament to the unassailable human spirit and poses one of the questions that will define this century: Will our global society emerge from fear, isolation, and self-interest and choose a path of openness, freedom, and respect for humanity?

Directed by Ai Weiwei, the film is produced by Ai Weiwei, Chin-Chin Yap and Heino Deckert and executive produced by Andrew Cohen of AC Films with Jeff Skoll and Diane Weyermann of Participant Media. Human Flow premieres in London cinemas on 8 December 2017. Book tickets here.

Central London

Picture House Central
Corner of Shaftesbury Avenue and Great Windmill Street, Piccadilly, W1D 7DH
Friday 8 Dec 4.15pm Saturday 9 Dec 6.20pm, Sunday 10 Dec 2.35pm & 7.30pm, Monday 11 Dec 1.30pm, Tuesday 12 Dec 4.00pm & 9.00pm, Wednesday 13 Dec 3.55pm & 8.50pm, Thursday 14 Dec 9.25pm

Bertha Dochouse
The Brunswick Centre, Bloomsbury, WC1N 1AW
Friday 8 Dec 1.30pm & 8.30pm, Saturday 9 Dec 6.00pm, Sunday 10 Dec 3.00pm & 8.00pm, Monday 11 Dec 1.30pm & 6.15pm, Tuesday 12 Dec 3.30pm, Wednesday 13 Dec 1.40pm & 8.30pm, Thursday 14 Dec 6.20pm

Curzon Soho
99 Shaftesbury Ave, W1D 5DY
Wednesday 27 Dec 3.00pm

North London

Everyman Screen on the Green
83 Upper Street, N1 0NP
Friday 8 Dec 6.15pm, Saturday 9 Dec 11.45am, Sunday 10 Dec 11.30am &5.30pm, Monday 11 Dec 2.45pm, Tuesday 12 Dec 12.30pm, Wednesday 13 Dec 2.45pm

Crouch End Picturehouse
165 Tottenham Lane, N8 9BY
Friday 8 Dec 12.25pm, Saturday 9 Dec 3.00pm, Sunday 10 Dec 2.30pm, Monday 11 Dec 3.05pm, Tuesday 12 Dec 12.25pm, Wednesday 13 Dec 12.20pm, Thursday 14 Dec 3.30pm

East London

The Castle Cinema
First Floor, 64 – 66 Brooksby’s Walk, E9 6DA
Friday 8 Dec 9.00pm, Saturday 9 Dec 6.20pm, Sunday 10 Dec 7.30pm, Tuesday 12 Dec 11.00am & 9.00pm, Wednesday 13 Dec 6.00pm

Barbican Centre
Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS
Friday 8 Dec 5.45pm, Saturday 9 Dec 5.45pm, Sunday 10 Dec 5.45pm, Monday 11 Dec 3.15pm & 8.15pm, Tuesday 12 Dec 8.20pm, Wednesday 13 Dec 5.35pm, Thursday 14 Dec 8.20pm

Hackney Picturehouse
270 Mare Street, E8 1HE
Friday 8 Dec 3.50pm, Saturday 9 Dec 1.00pm, Sunday 10 Dec 2.30pm, Monday 11 Dec 12.20pm, Tuesday 12 Dec 12.40pm, Wednesday 13 Dec 12.20pm

Stratford Picturehouse
Salway Road, E15 1BX
Friday 8 Dec 8.15pm, Saturday 9 Dec 6.00pm, Sunday 10 Dec 8.15pm, Monday 11 Dec 12.30pm, Tuesday 12 Dec 3.15pm, Wednesday 13 Dec 3.30pm, Thursday 14 Dec 8.15pm.

West London

Everyman Belsize Park
203 Haverstock Hill, NW3 4QG
Friday 8 Dec 9.00pm, Saturday 9 Dec 3.0pm, Sunday 10 Dec 12.00pm, Tuesday 12 Dec 12.55pm, Wednesday 13 Dec 12.40pm

Watermans Art Centre
40 High Street, Brentford TW8 0DS
Friday 29 Dec 3.15pm, Saturday 30 Dec 3.20pm, Monday 1 Jan 5.45pm, Tuesday 2 Jan 6.00pm, Wednesday 3 Jan 7.45pm

To coincide with the release of Human Flow, Ai Wei Wei is one of 27 artists donating an artwork to raise money for the charity Help Refugees winter appeal. Others who have donated works include Cecily Brown, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Jeremy Deller, Harland Miller, Julian Opie, Marc Quinn, and photographer Rankin. The auction, which will commence at 12.00pm Thursday 7 December, will be open for two weeks on the online auction platform Paddle8 until Thursday 21 December.

 

Images courtesy Human Flow

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