After a Kickstarter campaign that had all the highs and lows of a Beijing blockbuster, you can finally watch “The Sand Storm,” the sci-fi flick featuring Ai Weiwei in a rare acting turn.
If you missed the short when it premiered to a packed house at Telluride on Sunday, you can watch it online above (or on Fandor, if you want to get the most out of your subscription). Lower East Side filmmaker Jason Wishnow refers to it as “low-fi sci-fi,” though the visuals by cinematographer Christopher Doyle (who’s collaborated with Jarmusch, Van Zandt, and Favreau, as well as a host of Hong Kong directors) are anything but. You might also consider this “cli fi,” given its message about a water shortage (look for the riot footage shot in the East Broadway subway station at the 2:40 mark).
Whatever you want to call it, it’ll definitely make you worry about the day your local “organic deli” runs out of coconut water.