Tara's Indie Pick Flicks

AprMon 2010 Filed in: Tara's Indie Pick Flicks

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Exit Through the Gift Shop

Directed by: Banksy
Starring: Banksy, Shepard Fairey and Thierry Guetta
Narrated by: Rhys Ifans
Now playing: Landmark Sunshine Cinema- 143 East Houston St., NYC

Exit Through the Gift Shop is the true story of French shopkeeper turned amateur filmmaker, Thierry Guetta. While documenting his family’s vacation to France, Guetta discovers his cousin is actually a street artist operating under the pseudonym, "Invader." Guetta quickly becomes obsessed with the world of street art, following Invader around France and documenting his work. Through Invader Guetta meets Shepard Fairey, another street artist best known for the iconization of pro-wrestler, Andre the Giant (remember those “OBEY” posters plastered all over town?) and most recently for his graphic portrait of Barack Obama. Guetta travels the world filming various artists at work, but there is one in particular he longs to meet: the elusive Banksy. From the Tate museum, where he’s hung his own work alongside classic masterpieces, to the streets of London, where his stencils of rats peek out from every corner, Banksy is a cult hero, and Guetta becomes obsessed with meeting him. After many attempts he finally realizes his dream and is allowed into Banksy’s inner circle. Guetta’s goal is to create a documentary about street art. He has thousands of hours of video documenting some of the best artists in the world. But when he finally produces a 90-minute film, it’s a total disaster. Banksy decides to take the camera into his own hands and make a documentary about Guetta and “the world’s first street art disaster movie.”

I loved every minute of this movie. The first half is an exhilarating ride through the world of street art, and it was so inspiring to see the lengths to which these artists will go to get their work in the public eye. When the tables turn and Guetta becomes the central character, his transition from the quirky Frenchman behind the camera to Andy Warhol on steroids is unbelievably funny. Exit Through the Gift Shop is also the tale of the commercialization of street art and how through a few key events what was mostly considered vandalism quickly becomes a hot commodity. Please see this movie.