It’s the beginning of Summer blockbuster season and I spend 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon watching a low budget doc. Shocker I went alone, but didn’t feel too bad because the theatre was just me and one other loser. By the way, Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema is one of my favorite spots on the map. Exit Through the Gift Shop is a film worth seeing. It’s a documentary about street artists. I’m terrible at explaining things so here’s the synopsis from RottenTomatoes:
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 un-filmable. And failed”
And here’s a 5-min sneak peak:
