"People are always wondering if I am an artist or political activist or politician. Maybe I'll just clearly tell you: Whatever I do is not art. Let's say it is just objects or materials, movies or writing, but not art, OK?“

-Ai Weiwei

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Ai Weiwei quote about movies: "People are always wondering if I am an artist or political activist or politician. Maybe I'll just c..."

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"As a person, I was born to give out my opinions. By giving out my opinions, I realize who I am. As long as I can communicate, I'm not so lonely. If I cannot travel, or do art, or have company, if they take away all my belongings, it doesn't matter at all."

-Ai Weiwei

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"China has not established the rule of law and if there is a power above the law there is no social justice. Everybody can be subjected to harm. I'm just a citizen: my life is equal in value to any other. But I'm thankful that when I lost my freedom so many people shared feelings and put such touching effort into helping me."

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"The 'Bird's Nest' National Stadium, which I helped to conceive, is designed to embody the Olympic spirit of 'fair competition.' It tells people that freedom is possible but needs fairness, courage and strength."

-Ai Weiwei

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"Police in China can do whatever they want after 81 days in arbitrary detention you clearly realise that they don't have to obey their own laws. In a society like this there is no negotiation, no discussion, except to tell you that power can crush you any time they want - not only you, your whole family and all people like you."

-Ai Weiwei

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"If we all say the same thing, then I think the government has to listen. But because no one is saying it, I become singled out, even though what I'm saying is common sense. It's very essential values that we all have to protect. But in Chinese society, people are giving up on protecting these values."

-Ai Weiwei

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"The Chinese art world does not exist. In a society that restricts individual freedoms and violates human rights, anything that calls itself creative or independent is a pretence. It is impossible for a totalitarian society to create anything with passion and imagination."

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"James Cameron has always been way ahead of the curve in terms of the use of technology in his movies."

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"There's some movies I watch, they're kind of like my anti-anxiety pill, my anti-depressant pill. I watch them at least once or twice a month probably. And I never stop learning from them as a filmmaker."

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"I think filmmakers want their movies to be seen."

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"What bugs me is that movies don't reflect how interesting and vibrant women are. We don't treasure women as they get older."

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"I guess I watch movies to make myself happier a lot."

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"I find playwriting to be incredibly difficult compared to screenwriting. Part of it is that I grew up watching movies and not watching plays."

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