While Netflix produces and distributes a slew of indie dramas and comedies, it’s nice to see them make selections from the realm of reality. So comes the first trailer for Sky Ladder, a documentary focusing on Cai Guo-Qiang‘s explosive art installations that have rocked the world. Directed by Oscar-winner Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland), Sky Ladder charts Guo-Qiang’s rise to art world fame, and his attempts at crafting his biggest work yet: the titular art piece that is un unforgettable sight.
The trailer is an emotional, rousing look into Guo-Qiang’s process, family, and ideologies as he “explores a connection to an unseen place” through his pieces. We said in our review, “Using gunpowder and sky as his canvas, Chinese-born artist Cai Guo-Qiang’s extraordinary statements on environmentalism, capitalism and humanity do require a large screen to absorb. An intimate yet occasionally grand biography of Cai, director Kevin MacDonald finds a slight balance between the past and present, crafting a film that’s part documentation of the work and part documentation of the artist. While the film never quite finds the correct balance, it’s constantly engaging, providing an entry into Cai’s work for the unfamiliar.”
See the colorful trailer below, along with an extended synopsis and poster.
Cai Guo-Qiang’s next creation will ignite the world. Sky Ladder, a Netflix Original Documentary, launches October 14.
In his latest feature documentary, Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald (One Day In September, The Last King Of Scotland) has unfettered access to world-renowned contemporary artist, Cai Guo-Qiang.
Cai’s work spans East and West, human and cosmic, the playful and the profound. His signature gunpowder paintings pay homage to the Chinese roots of the explosive medium, while incorporating elements of chance and unpredictability. His massive explosion events actively engage audiences around the globe—from his seminal 1993 work that extended the Great Wall of China with six miles of gunpowder fuse; to the daytime colored fireworks that ripped through the deserts of Doha, to the astonishing opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Told through the artist’s own words and those of family, friends, colleagues, and critics, Sky Ladder traces Cai’s meteoric rise from childhood in Mao’s China to pre-eminent global artist. We witness as Cai struggles with how to affect social change through art, and navigate the compromises and complexities that arise when you’ve made it to the top. When you’ve gone as far as he has, how do you challenge yourself?
If you’re Cai Guo-Qiang, you continue to chase the ambitious dream that has eludedyou for 20 years—Sky Ladder—a 1,650 foot ladder of fire climbing into theskies, connecting heaven and earth. Sky Ladder: The Art Of Cai Guo-Qiang is the story of a unique artist at a pivotal moment in his life and times. Produced by Oscar-winner Fisher Stevens (THE COVE), Wendi Deng, and Hugo Shong.
Sky Ladder will hit Netflix on October 14th.