Exit Through the Gift Shop

Exit Through the Gift Shop is a 2010 British documentary film directed by street artist Banksy. It 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 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 24 January 2010, and it 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 is real, Banksy simply replied: "Yes." Synopsis Thierry Guetta is a French immigrant living in Los Angeles, who runs a successful upscale vintage clothing shop and obsessively films his life. While visiting France in 1999, Guetta discovers his cousin is famed street artist Invader. Fascinated, he accompanies Invader and his friends, who include Monsieur André and Zevs, on their nocturnal adventures, documenting everything. A few months later, Invader visits Guetta in LA and arranges a meeting with Shepard Fairey. Guetta continues to film Fairey after Invader returns to France, and when Fairey asks what Guetta plans to do with the footage, Guetta says he is going to make a documentary about street art. He follows Fairey as Fairey travels the world executing the OBEY Giant campaign, and films numerous artists at work, among them Poster Boy, Seizer, Neck Face, Sweet Toof, Cyclops, Ron English, Dotmasters, Swoon, Azil, Borf, and Buff Monster. However, in reality, Guetta merely likes to film things and has no intention of making a film out of the footage, which he never watches, simply dumping the tapes into boxes.