As a sculptor, photographer, documentary filmmaker and political whistle-blower, Ai Weiwei has become one of China's most salient and outspoken figures, currently ranked at the top of ArtReview's most recent "Power 100" list. A decade ago, he began blogging and joined Twitter several years later, using both platforms to increase awareness of political corruption and the unfair treatment of Chinese civilians, including himself. Both were later fueled by the government's response to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake (which caused over 5,000 casualties, including many students in poorly-built public schools) and the rug-swept image of China during that year's Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Art remains Weiwei's passion, whether it's through images he creates or "performance art" aimed at authority figures. This was never more evident than the events captured during Alison Klayman's 2012 documentary Never Sorry: while en route to testify at the trial of earthquake activist Tan Zuoren, Weiwei and company were harassed by police and later confronted in their hotel room. During an audio recording from his documentary about the earthquake, Weiwei was assaulted and eventually needed surgery for a resulting brain tumor (at top). Yet, as most pot-stirrers will attest to, such a confrontation only fueled his desire to stay the course. Eventually, the rope got tighter: Weiwei's studio was placed under street surveillance, both via parked vehicles and video monitoring. Though he's been scrutinized for years now, Weiwei has successfully transferred this attention to the eyes of fans and followers worldwide.

His adventure continues during Andreas Johnsen's Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case (2013), which largely follows the artist during his house arrest following 81 days of solitary detention, during which time he's faced with a lawsuit from government officials over alleged tax evasion. During this time, we follow the artist as he interacts with his wife, young son, worried mother, friends and colleagues, and supporters, many of which offer Weiwei financial support to appeal the (apparently) fictional charges. Along the way he's bullied by police agents and monitored almost constantly, but retaliates in subtle ways (walking in empty parking lots to detect if he's being followed) and more direct action (tailing a surveillance vehicle, physically confronting authorities who injure one of his supporters). Along the way, he works on installations and other art projects, including a photo-realistic representation of his solitary detention (see image #3). More than anything else, though, it just offers him 89 minutes to share his life with fans and followers.

Kino Lorber's DVD release (which offers no Blu-ray counterpart, unfortunately) feels a little late to the party, but anyone who has seen and enjoyed Never Sorry will certainly want to watch it in one form or another. This one-disc package offers a decent A/V presentation and no substantial bonus features, but those unable or unwilling to stream or buy the movie (including a "Deluxe Edition") at its official website will find it a passable alternative.

Presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio, this 480p transfer handles the source material perfectly well. Recently-shot interviews and establishing shots fare the best with crisp detail, strong black levels and very few digital imperfections. The film's natural color palette is also reproduced nicely. Obviously some of the older video clips, surveillance footage, and guerrilla-style documentary segments look much rougher in comparison; with that in mind, there's little to complain about here. Weiwei is no stranger to memorable, provocative imagery and this film embodies that spirit consistently. Unfortunately, unlike Never Sorry, there does not appear to be a separate Blu-ray option available.

The Dolby Digital 2.0 mix is a capable effort despite the format's limitations...but since there's a distinct lack of music during this documentary and most of the footage is shot indoors, we aren't missing much. Dialogue is relatively clean and clear, especially during scheduled interviews, and there's even a modest amount of low end during a few urban establishing shots and other like-minded sequences. Overall, it's a little flat but hardly disappointing. Unfortunately, the included English subtitles only translate foreign or muffled dialogue and not on-screen text and English speech.

Though it's certainly accessible providing you have a basic understanding of Ai Weiwei and his mission statement, The Fake Case is really aimed at slightly more enthusiastic followers eager to catch a glimpse of his most recent trials, tribulations, and exploits. I'd definitely recommend Never Sorry over this DVD, as it's a slightly more well-rounded documentary and a stronger disc in just about every department...but if you've already seen and enjoyed that one, this unofficial sequel is definitely worth a weekend spin. Kino Lorber's DVD package offers a solid presentation of slightly limited source material, but the lack of substantial extras is disappointing and makes owning this disc seem unnecessary. Rent It instead, or simply stream/buy the movie (including a "Deluxe Edition") at its official website.