Ai Weiwei: Sewing a ButtonMovie
Fifteen years ago, Ai Weiwei was secretly detained without any formal charges by Public Security in China. For 81 days, he lived in a single cell, eating his meals, washing and exercising between interrogations. Now Ai Weiwei presents Sewing a Button – a day-long live performance work re-enacting this brutal, life-changing experience. Sewing a Button condenses the artist's detention into 24 hours, inviting audiences to bear witness to his experience live at Manchester's Aviva Studios. In a re-creation of his cell, he will sleep, eat, write and wash – sometimes, he will be interrogated. Unsettling and provocative, Sewing a Button exposes the fragility of personal freedoms in today’s uncertain world.
About Ai Weiwei: Sewing a Button
Ai Weiwei: Sewing a Button is a 2026 movie directed by Ai Weiwei.
The production information lists a runtime of 11h 0m, production credits from United Kingdom, an original language code of EN.
The credited cast includes Ai Weiwei. The synopsis above summarizes the central premise without adding details beyond the available title information.
