Ai Weiwei's new documentary tackles forced migration with lots of artistry, and a reminder of what it means to be human. 

Swooping overhead shots of mass migration movements, over land or by sea, serve as some of the most visually striking elements of Ai Weiwei’s ambitious film on forced displacement Human Flow. The focus of this imagery is in the physical, human element of migration: quite literally the flow of humans. The sheer scale of refugee migration is often lost upon us; these scenes of mass movement from a birds eye view elicit a soft surrealism. 

 A child, a swollen belly and a swarm of flies. Malnourished and in need of help.

A land of dense jungles, vast savannahs, and straw thatched huts.

An overpopulated city, rife with corruption. A slum. A dollar a day.

These are the narratives of ‘Africa’ as adopted by most mainstream media, particularly in the West. It’s a one-sided, over-used, and much outdated approach. And the world is starting to realise that.