Filmmaker specialized in filming the motion of the sea. Filmed by human, not by AI.

Ai Weiwei's new documentary tackles forced migration with lots of artistry, and a reminder of what it means to be human.
Swooping overhead shots of mass migration movements, over land or by sea, serve as some of the most visually striking elements of Ai Weiwei’s ambitious film on forced displacement Human Flow. The focus of this imagery is in the physical, human element of migration: quite literally the flow of humans. The sheer scale of refugee migration is often lost upon us; these scenes of mass movement from a birds eye view elicit a soft surrealism.

In the mainstream media, the movement of refugees across borders is often explained through metaphors of water: tides, waves, floods. This article speaks of how this type of diction carries a connotation of an impending threat, like a natural disaster. This language contributes toward a festering fear of refugees, who are increasingly seen as the 'other'.

Through the title 'Human Flow', the aquatic metaphor is used again- but in a very different context. Weiwei's drone-shot scenes of human movement is a calm portrayal of the obstacles refugees face in their escape from war.

Stepping away from any in-depth political commentary, Human Flow instead provides a platform of empathy and human connection through snapshots of the lives of refugees around the world. It is quietly contemplative: it serves you scenes of humanity with a fair share of background information, but it doesn't go farther by allying with a certain political cause. And you don't need it to.

Described as a ‘cine-essay’ rather than a traditional documentary by the Guardian, Human Flow portrays the paradox of the refugee state: of both simultaneous movement and immobility. Escaping the wars in their homes to be faced with the mountain of obstacles in establishing a new life, refugees are left in limbo. More than 65 million people have been displaced today; the extensive scope of this film is only a dipped toe into the immensity of this figure.