So I finally managed to catch this much hyped-about film at ACMI a few days ago. I was cautious at first, when I heard that Banksy had a documentary coming about about street art. So many documentaries have been made about street art and the ‘alternative’ culture in general and it was difficult for me to see how one might actually succeed in coming up with a different angle. But I guess if anyone can do it, Banksy can.

I also love how the film was pretty unorthodox as a documentary. It was about street art, but then again, it wasn’t. It was about Banksy, but then again, it wasn’t. The frenchman Thierry Guetta was certainly a fine example of an eccentric subject that most definitely brought life to the film. Banksy told his story about street art through him, and in a way, Guetta

I don’t follow Banksy’s work or street art in general too closely, though I am reasonably familiar with his work and some of the artists that were featured in the film like Shepard Fairey and Invader. It was definitely refreshing to have that little glimpse into his studio and his thought process. I guess the short-term nature of street art in general makes it a little difficult for me to believe that there are solid concepts and ideas behind it, and the pieces aren’t just randomly sprayed or pasted on without a second thought. The film certainly changed that for me.

In short: entertaining film with some really interesting concepts and theories about popular culture and modern art. Definitely a must-catch! Now, to wait for the DVD release…