Directed by:
BanksyCast:
Banksy, Thierry Guetta, Shepard Fairey, Invader, Rhys Ifans, Jay Leno, Christina Aguilera, Noel Gallagher, Angelina Jolie, Jude Law, Brad Pitt, Shaquille O'Neal (more)VOD (1)
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Exit Through the Gift Shop, the first film by renowned graffiti artist Banksy, became the hottest ticket at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival where it made its world debut. Banksy is a graffiti artist with a global reputation whose work can be seen on walls from post-hurricane New Orleans to the separation barrier on the Palestinian West Bank. Fiercely guarding his anonymity to avoid prosecution, Banksy has so far resisted all attempts to be captured on film. Exit Through the Gift Shop tells the incredible true story of how an eccentric French shop keeper turned documentary maker attempted to locate and befriend Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner – with spectacular results. The film contains exclusive footage of Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Invader and many of the world’s most infamous graffiti artists at work, on walls and in interview. As Banksy describes it, “It’s basically the story of how one man set out to film the unfilmable. And failed” (official distributor synopsis)
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A great and extremely thoughtful work on the domestication of revolt and the commercialization of subversiveness. Painfully and humorously accurate testimony of what Mark Fisher, for example, portrays in his book “Capitalist Realism" as one of the dominant qualities of contemporary capitalism. How even radical acts such as commemorating the Guantanamo hostages at the heart of consumer carefreeness can turn into snobby posturing, this is endlessly disturbing and instigating to reflect on the role of art in the public space. Last but not least, it is also a precisely constructed "mockumentary", which testifies to Banksy's filmmaking talent.
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Art has many forms and spray painting is one of them. This isn't a documentary about graffiti artists; it's a documentary about alternative artists in general, which Banksy directed and sort of oversees. It features artists I don't know, but who have something to say. People like that are interesting. For me, the documentary itself worked more as a showcase of artists than anything else.
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