Banksy on camera: Exit Through The Gift Shop will be the Bristol-born graffiti artist's first film
Bristol’s graffiti legend Banksy is dipping his toe into the world of film, as it emerged his new movie is to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in the US.
Described as the world’s first street art disaster movie, Exit Through The Gift Shop will make its debut on Sunday.
The film tells the 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.
It will contain footage of Banksy, Shephard Fairey, Invader and many of the world’s most infamous graffiti artists at work, on walls and in interview.
Named after one of the pieces at Banksy’s exhibition at the Bristol Museum last summer – which drew 350,000 people through the doors in nine weeks – it will be released from March 5 in British cinemas and is narrated by Welsh actor Rhys Ifans.
Banksy has described the film as “the story of how one man set out to film the un-filmable. And failed”, but for John Cooper – director of the Festival – it is an unqualified success.
“Exit Through The Gift Shop is one of those films that comes along once in a great while, a warped hybrid of reality and self-induced fiction while at the same time a totally entertaining experience,” he said.
“The story is so bizarre I began to question if it could even be real… but in the end I didn’t care. I feel bad I won’t be able to shake the film-maker’s hand and tell him how much I love this film. I think I will shake everyone’s hand that day and hope I hit on Banksy somewhere. I love his work in all forms.”
Watch the trailer here…
