Watch Sky Ladder: The Art Of Cai Guo-Qiang

Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang is a documentary film directed by Kevin Macdonald and released in 2016. It explores the life and work of Cai Guo-Qiang, a Chinese contemporary artist known for his spectacular pyrotechnic displays. The film opens with footage of Cai's childhood in Quanzhou, a city in southeastern China. Cai was the fifth child in a family of seven, and his parents were both calligraphers. From a young age, Cai showed an interest in art and was encouraged to pursue his passion by his father. At the age of fourteen, Cai was accepted into the Shanghai School of Arts and Crafts, where he began to hone his skills as a painter.

Throughout his career, Cai has experimented with a wide range of media, from traditional Chinese ink painting to gunpowder. One of his most famous works is the Sky Ladder, a series of fireworks that ascend into the air and gradually form a ladder shape. In the film, we see footage of Cai's first attempts at creating the Sky Ladder in 1994, as well as his later, more elaborate versions of the piece.

The documentary also explores some of the other themes that run throughout Cai's work, such as his interest in history and his exploration of the contradictions within contemporary Chinese society. For example, Cai's installation piece Head On features a pack of wolves made of silk and stuffed with hay, running headlong into a glass wall. The wolves symbolize the collective madness and desperation that can drive human beings to their own destruction.

Throughout the film, we hear from a number of Cai's collaborators and friends, as well as from the artist himself. One of the most poignant moments in the film comes when Cai is shown visiting his childhood home, which has been abandoned and left to decay. As he walks through the overgrown courtyard, he reflects on how his upbringing has shaped his artistic vision.

The film also touches on some of the controversies surrounding Cai's work. In 2008, he was named the artistic director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, and his work on the opening ceremony in particular drew criticism from some quarters for its politically charged imagery.

Overall, Sky Ladder: The Art of Cai Guo-Qiang is a visually stunning and thought-provoking exploration of one of China's most celebrated contemporary artists. Through archival footage and interviews with Cai and his collaborators, the film provides a fascinating glimpse into the creative process behind some of his most famous pieces. It also offers an insightful look into the cultural and political context that has shaped Cai's work, as well as the challenges that he has faced as an artist in a rapidly changing society.

Sky Ladder: The Art Of Cai Guo-Qiang is a 2016 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 16 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 73.