In conjunction with its exhibition “Beyond the Streets: Post Graffiti,” on Sunday, June 30, at 3 p.m., Southampton Arts Center will present a screening of “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” a 2010 British documentary directed by street artist Banksy. The film tells the story of Thierry Guetta, a French immigrant in Los Angeles who, over the course of several years, filmed a host of street artists at work, including Shepard Fairey and Banksy, but failed to do anything with the footage. Eventually, Banksy decided to use the footage to make a documentary, which includes new footage depicting Guetta’s rise to fame as the artist “Mr. Brainwash.”
In addition to narration read by Welsh actor Rhys Ifans, the story is largely related by Banksy himself, whose face is obscured and voice altered to preserve his anonymity. Geoff Barrow composed the film’s score, and Richard Hawley’s “Tonight The Streets Are Ours” plays during the opening and closing credits. The film premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2010, and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 83rd Academy Awards.
Since its release, there has been extensive debate over whether the film is a genuine documentary or a mockumentary. When asked if the film was real, Banksy simply replied, “Yes.”
Admission to the film is $10 (free for SAC members) Southampton Arts Center is at 25 Jobs Lane, Southampton. For more information, visit southamptonartscenter.org.
Staff Writer on May 23, 2024