Lesson 7 - Banksy - Banksy

This documentary is about a French amateur filmmaker, Thierry Guetta a.k.a Mr. Brainwash, who makes it his hobby to film the graffiti artist Banksy in action. The film's footage also captures Shephard Fairey Invader, and many other infamous graffiti artists at work. It is during film-making where he does actually gain footage of Banksy, who gives him the idea to start making his own street art where he earns his pseudonym Mr. Brainwash.

I really liked the intro to the film because it shows graffiti artists in action. Although they are considered artists, they are performing it illegally and the introduction shows how some rush through what they are doing and those who take a little more time but have to do it at night so that they remain unseen. Although it is illegal and I would never partake in something like this, I found it exciting and invigorating to see such rebelliousness caught on film.

What I found interesting about this film that was so different from the others was how the artists wished to stay unknown. When footage was shown of Banksy, his whole self was darkened and his voice was changed so you couldn't even tell who it was. In the other videos you see all kinds of interviews showing the artist completely and in this one the artists want to stay a secret. For me, I think it's not just because of the illegality of their work, but it's because once their known it takes the fun out of what they're doing. They love being artists but they like the game that comes with their specific style because it makes it more exciting to do. Also, no one knows who they are so the public can't connect the art with the personality making their opinions purely based on the art and not who and what they think about the artist.

I found both Guetta and Banksy interesting. What I liked about Guetta was that his interested was peaked when he saw his cousin, graffiti artist Space Invader, at work and it is then that he decides to dedicate his hobbies to documenting this talent from a secret art society. What I liked about Banksy was that he agreed to let Guetta film him, but not actually show him. Also, Banksy is the one who turned Guetta into a street artist as well. Realizing he was just filming and obscene amount of footage and not actually doing anything with, Banksy literally takes the camera into his own hands and shifts the story onto the filmmaker which is completely different than the other documentaries because there was never a situation where the person filming at the beginning of the video turns into the subject of it. If it wasn't for Banksy's help there really wouldn't be a documentary to begin with, just countless of numbers of videos of graffiti artists. "The film is about what happened when this guy tried to make a documentary about me but he was actually a lot more interesting than I am so now the film is kind of about him."