Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) Edit

A chance discovery sent Thierry's life

A crowd of almost 2,000 people had amassed

A little piece of that, a little piece of that,

A lot of it was starting to disappear the next day.

A lot of suckers buying into his show

A major player in an explosive new movement

A pile good or a pile not good.

A problem that we never talk about,

A transparent looked like a little stencil in a way.

Aaaagh!

About helping move the buckets, the ladder.

About snapping up MBW pieces ahead of the opening,

About Thierry.

After a graffiti artist known as Banksy

After the high of his scoop with Banksy.

All of a sudden, they were selling street art,

All of our trains are stopped.

All right, go ahead.

All the people who was working with him,

All the tape that I film, even if it was good,

Almost certain

Along with a few of the show's other producers.

Amanda, how are you doing?

Amazing. Thank you so much.

An eight foot tall spray paint can,

An it says, Bat Papi, 1893.

And a full time staff capable of producing MBW pieces

And after, I was like...

And all of sudden,

And although he didn't know it yet,

And an image based on cult '70s wrestler

And as word about MBW spread,

And asked them if they could help me,

And because I never made a movie before

And become a street artist himself.

And being filmed at the same time

And bought me a phone,

And came flocking to report on the elephant in the room.

And do a review, because...

And every person I told about him bought something,

And everything about it is shit

And everything was getting a bit crazier,

And fate remained on Thierry's side

And for me to have someone there as a lookout was always good.

And from that things,

And get the canvases rolled out flat, and I'll come in a bit.

And getting something that nobody sees,

And had us working on a day rate

And having 100 people working for him,

And he bought $100 worth of credit

And he came round my house and put the DVD on,

And he comes up with the ideas on what to change them,

And he couldn't make it that moment.

And he didn't care whatsoever.

And he forgets he comes with a family.

And he goes, and he start... put it in.

And he knows where all the best walls are in L.A.

And he made a good living selling his wares

And he said, Can you build me a monster out of TVs?

And he said, This is it.

And he says, Did you take a lot of pictures?

And he says, Oh, you're laughing, eh?

And he takes time,

And he wanted to know if I could build him

And he was always...

And he was maybe just someone with mental problems

And he's kinda crazy.

And him selling a lot of expensive art very quickly,

And I am Mr. Brainwash.

And I asked somebody to illustrate it,

And I didn't think there was any harm in it,

And I don't have any proof on you.

And I don't have nothing with this guy,

And I don't know how to stop...

And I don't know whether it's just that he's passionate

And I go, Pom!

And I had a warehouse with big bales of these clothes,

And I had this idea

And I just do it to... I don't know...

And I like that.

And I liked it, so I made a small sticker.

And I liked it, so I went to Kinko's,

And I made it transparent, you know,

And I put in a toy from Fisher Price.

And I said no,

And I said, I'm gonna make a street art documentary,

And I said, Sure.

And I said, What? You have who?

And I said, Where are you?

And I start doing it

And I start filming, I felt,

And I start filming.

And I start to know one,

And I thought it was really nice,

And I thought, Yeah.

And I was crying, and I didn't know.

And I was gonna throw it off a building, just like...

And I was uncomfortable with that,

And I wasn't lying about that.

And I went at 10:00 at night

And I went on the, like, Indiana Jones ride,

And I worry.

And I would go even up, up more to have the shot that is great.

And I'd put the price that is $400.

And I'll start the bid at $100,000.

And I'll tell you a pile...

And I'm doing this big show,

And I'm like, Okay.

And I'm telling that to the guy.

And if he didn't know how to do any of these things himself,

And in my head,

And it gains real power from perceived power.

And it was all kind of going a little bit wrong.

And it was kind of suspense,

And it was magic kind of way.

And it was never gonna happen again.

And it's all... it's all a make up kind of way, you know?

And it's not that it was so many people;

And it's, you know, the smaller Mao.

And make some art, you know, have a little show,

And maybe there's some things to be learned from it.

And maybe there's some things to be learned from it.

And me, I'm filming, taking pictures...

And me, the only thing I wanted to do

And now that he had found it, he wasn't about to let it go.

And now, under the influence of pain numbing drugs,

And obviously, for that, you go to jail for ten years.

And off he went back to Los Angeles,

And on condition that I could check the tapes afterwards.

And one make me meet another one.

And one man who claimed he was from the FBI.

And people can see it.

And people spent them,

And people that used to be in street art,

And people were like, Oh, yeah.

And pointing his camera at anything that moved

And punched his number in and said,

And put it outside

And put them in the small room.

And putting it on top of couple building,

And really, to validate what he was doing.

And somebody come up,

And somewhere you and... illegal,

And sort of try to, you know, come out

And Space Invader had something, a trouble with something,

And start to glue?

And starting to put it all around the city.

And the detention of all these terror suspects,

And the insurance?

And the thing goes, Vvvvt!

And the way that I made it,

And then he actually got us into the space

And then he'd broken his leg

And then I walked off one way

And then that's Keith Haring, who I'm not a fan of.

And then there's this sign with a picture of a camera on it

And then we Photoshop.

And then when I came off that,

And then when I came off that,

And then, miraculously...

And then, of course, once I was with Space Invader,

And they really believe it.

And they said, Well, there's this French guy

And they said, You are in big, big, big trouble.

And they think that I'm not organized.

And they won't know.

And they're all in, like, fairly bad English.

And Thierry had landed right in the middle of it.

And Thierry seemed to miss out on all those bits.

And things like this,

And this is the fifth one.

And this is the way that I made it.

And this is what I create.

And this piece called Don't Be Cruel.

And this piece has been pulled back a little bit.

And trying to do the game of Space Invaders,

And walking everywhere, you know,

And we didn't tell anyone else about it,

And we figured out what he needed

And we just shot off, like, the morning before the show.

And we scan the image,

And when that happened, it was like, Holy shit.

And with his grand opening

And within days, Thierry was being interviewed

And you are upstairs doing your thing

And you can decide who it is

And you fractured it right through here,

And you have a lot of numbers

And you said, This is the number 12.

And you said...

And you'll see if I'm a rabbit or a turtle.

And, How are the children?

And, How are you, my darling?

And, like, selected different pictures,

And, you know, with, like, long legs

André has this character

Andy Warhol passed away, and I'm here.

Animal rights activists are outraged

Any kind of people,

Any time in my life

Anybody's listening to me now.

Anything you want.

Around the world.

As a major new star was born before their very eyes.

As he prepared for his first big American show.

As he ventured further afield,

As if he is a fully formed artist ready for the world stage

As were we, to be honest.

Asking if I would give him a quote to promote his show.

At all this stuff he got out of it.

At that point, I thought I'd better leave the park.

At that time,

At the Museum of Modern Art or something,

At the right time, really.

At the wrong moment, you know.

Attracting sudden interest from the art establishment.

Banksy had camouflaged his rented elephant

Banksy had just given him

Banksy had started out as a provincial graffiti artist,

Banksy invited Thierry to England.

Banksy returned to Los Angeles.

Banksy this.

Banksy was now taking vandalism in an entirely new direction.

Bar code.

Barely Legal.

Because for me, it's an important part of the job

Because he said he'd nearly finished the film,

Because I don't know who it is.

Because I have Banksy here, and I would like...

Because I learned from Obey and things like this,

Because I like what he did.

Because I never solid, transparent.

Because I thought it was nice, what they were doing,

Because I wanted to show that I could do it.

Because I'm running around,

Because it seemed like a good idea:

Because it was only now,

Because it was, like, a mix of fears

Because it's like, you know...

Because it's not every day that I see you.

Because Thierry still hadn't decided

Because when you got them like this,

Because, you know, bill to pays,

Becoming a street artist,

Beginning to resemble an art gallery.

Being the man of mystery

Borf.

But after a while, he's like,

But at least with Thierry,

But before long, his stencils were appearing all over Britain.

But even back in 2000,

But he doesn't care.

But he was actually a lot more interesting than I am,

But he was extremely iconic in the way that he did it.

But I brought Thierry over to London

But I don't know what to do with them.

But I even delete it when you guys came to me.

But I kept filming,

But I know he's doing a bit more installations at the moment.

But I know the moment it came inside my hand,

But I needed him out of the way

But I said he could film me,

But I said it's great

But I think if you look at it particularly

But I would do it

But I'm excited about it.

But life is a chess game for me.

But me, I wanted to meet the guy,

But my focus in my head, it was like,

But not dressed like security, but look like, you know,

But now there was a new development

But obviously, that hadn't stopped Thierry,

But only my hands, from behind,

But right now,

But sculptures and installations too.

But street art has a short lifespan,

But that's one out of four, five, six.

But the artist himself remained as elusive as ever.

But the walls remained bare

But then Thierry really made them meaningless.

But then, there aren't supposed to be any rules,

But there's probably a moral in there somewhere.

But this fool's down for this, dog.

But this is, like, Space Invader.

But when people were asking me what this guy's doing,

But, like, I think it'd be cool if you came up with us.

But, you know, it's kind of... I think...

By now, word about this mystery provocateur

By the editor of the city's biggest listings magazine,

By the need to record the people and events around him.

By transforming the cavernous space

Bye, Gigi! Bye, Jackie!

Bye!

C'est Shaq.

Came a few days later when Invader arranged to meet up

Came into my hand,

Can I get two adults just for Disneyland, please?

Can I have a quick word with you, sir, please?

Can I take one picture before I go?

Can I talk to you for a second?

Can you guys form a straight line to the right, please?

Capacity's approximately gonna be, like, 750 to 800.

Click!

Combining Andre's face with a command to obey,

Couldn't get any more intense,

Couple tape here, couple tape here,

Didn't actually exist.

Didn't fold, didn't buckle;

Disaster struck.

Do you guys think you still have a shot

Do you think that he's gonna come and cut little papers

Do you think that people is gonna wait and wait

Doing some editing.

Don't film from that side.

Don't walk all over the paint.

Don't you wish to be taller sometimes?

Essentially like somebody with a short attention span

Even allowing him to film inside his studio

Even if his art does look quite a lot like everyone else's.

Even taking pictures, he would do it like...

Even though the Andre the Giant sticker

Everything that I owned, I put it in it.

Excuse me, sir?

Excuse me?

Felt compelled to break through the gates.

Film from this side over here.

Film! Film! Come closer.

Filming everything that Space Invader was doing

Finding their style,

Flicking through a cable box of 900 channels.

Following the movement of street art.

Following them, following them.

For $550,000.

For creating Mr. Brainwash?

For fuck's sake, I printed it.

For me, it was done.

For the 200 free posters or no?

For transforming the face of an unknown senator

For what was now widely tipped to be

Four different color Post its in here.

From every corner, they were on me.

From the entire Mickey Mouse security team...

From the task in hand.

Fuck.

Giving Thierry his first insight into the value of his work.

Giving Thierry the chance to pursue his new passion

God, I don't even know who else.

Good. How are you doing?

Got turned back at immigration,

Had a little problem of sleeping sometime.

Had been crafted into a 90 minute film

Had lain empty for almost a year

Had moved on to gallery shows,

Had stumbled into an intriguing underground world,

Hanging stuff, moving stuff, carrying stuff,

Having him to push you to do street art,

Having spent years

He asked me to promote the show for him,

He at last glimpsed the enormity

He called up, and he came to London

He could always employ people who did.

He could fix it all up.

He could get me whatever I wanted;

He could never have imagined just how far things would go.

He could take me anywhere;

He did a really good job of stashing the tape in his sock...

He figured, I want to do something just as great.

He filmed constantly...

He finds the paintings that he likes,

He had a guitar,

He had arrived with his crew

He had been promising everyone for so long.

He had no fear.

He just goes and does.

He needs to call at 2:00.

He never went anywhere without a video camera.

He now had to devise a way

He opened his door to me,

He said he just needed some things built

He said, Have you got a phone?

He was always very diligent about climbing,

He was cool.

He was even more than I expected.

He was following the artists,

He was my guy after that.

He was pretty much obsessed.

He was, like, painting, like, shadows on the streets

He was, like, the only one that I don't have,

He was... he is the...

He was... he was human.

He was... he was... he was...

He's funny looking. No.

He's holed in L.A. right now, bro.

He's inspired by other things.

He's kind of the rightful heir to Andy Warhol, in a way.

He's like, It's good, you know?

He's like, Okay, show me the pictures.

He's like, This is where I'm gonna do it.

He's up on every corner.

Hello, French people.

Hello, this is Shepard Fairey.

Hello?

Hey, how you doing?

Hey, man. How are you?

His name was Shepard Fairey.

His other subjects carried on,

His pieces appeared in galleries and shows around the world,

His work seemed to be everywhere,

His world was about to collide head on

How am I gonna make it? How am I gonna make it?

How are you doing, Thierry?

How'd you guys find out about this event?

Hype.

I always avoided cameras,

I always thought of that.

I answered a nondescript ad

I ask everybody that I knew.

I brought in three of my staff members

I came, picked him up.

I changed my shirt.

I choose a wall 'cause I like it,

I could get him all the time,

I couldn't do anything without capturing it.

I couldn't let it down, ever.

I didn't ask him anything.

I didn't ask him; I just filmed.

I didn't know what way that I'm gonna get this person,

I didn't know, in reality, and after I went back to class,

I didn't want to disappoint Banksy.

I do think that the whole phenomenon

I don't even know if there is a joke.

I don't have anything to do with it.

I don't have anything to do with this person.

I don't have nothing with you guys,

I don't know how the video camera

I don't know how to play chess,

I don't know what it means,

I don't know who the joke's on, really.

I don't know.

I don't really do that so much anymore.

I don't think Thierry played by the rules,

I drive you if you need to go anywhere.

I fall, like, making the art.

I feel good as an artist to have a reputation now.

I feel good.

I feel like, um...

I felt like I had the piece that will finish the puzzle.

I film.

I find a way of making the no as a yes.

I guess I trusted Thierry with everything.

I guess Thierry showed up at a time

I guess who isn't inspired by other things?

I had cameras set up everywhere.

I had the best intentions.

I have never seen someone with so much goddamn art

I haven't seen group shows with that much artwork.

I hear about this Banksy.

I just fall in the spiral. Aaaah!

I just loved it, you know,

I just want to talk to you, dude.

I just went and, like... it was not even a push.

I kept going.

I know Space Invader. Not here, no.

I like it. I like it.

I like to fly from one artist to another.

I like what it feels like, you know?

I liked to capture those people

I love the design of it.

I love you!

I made it.

I mean, he was, like, just incredible.

I mean, I don't know how to make a film,

I mean, I guess part of the power of Thierry

I mean, I heard about him.

I mean, I'm lucky I didn't get caught that day.

I mean, it was all starting to sound a little bit crazy.

I mean, it's beautiful, but it's in the closet.

I mean, it's not Gone with the Wind,

I mean, make them work to do something.

I mean, maybe Thierry was a genius all along.

I mean, the thing is that most all art

I mean, there's no one quite like Thierry, really,

I mean, we had to, 'cause, you know,

I never did an exposition in a gallery, really.

I never met the cat till tonight,

I never show any work anywhere,

I never want to be locked down anywhere.

I never went home again.

I put it down, and I said,

I put it on, I go... I go on Menu right away,

I really did it kind of the way,

I remember I was in the playground,

I said, Look.

I said, No, I took one picture,

I saw Banksy, and I thought he was a genius,

I see this particular one

I start to make copies, make it bigger,

I started to really see, like, a gallery outside.

I take the camera... I take him...

I think he put me into street art

I think he's really, like...

I think I got accepted, you know?

I think maybe Thierry

I think was a little premature.

I thought it was a big breach of security.

I thought, you know, that nobody was allowed to do this.

I told him I'd never seen anything like it,

I took picture of me holding a camera,

I tried calling Thierry, didn't get any answer,

I tried calling Thierry, didn't get any answer,

I used to take things that,

I used to think everyone should do it.

I used to... couple tape here, couple tape here,

I want to make it more like a show.

I want to make it more like a show.

I want... I want... I want to interview this guy.

I wanted to make a movie about street art,

I wanted to try to do something big.

I was a filmmaker.

I was at school.

I was completely maxed with camera.

I was driving like crazy.

I was filming and filming myself filming me.

I was filming Space Invader, but I wanted more.

I was in downtown Los Angeles one day.

I was like, What the fuck is going on?

I was putting my life on...

I was refinancing the house.

I was saying, It's okay; it's my cousin.

I was so much focused on it that I put all my money in it.

I was taking pictures, and things like this.

I was there.

I was very curious how the hell

I was, like, 20 years old, and I put it on layaway,

I wasn't worried, but I'm sure my wife

I went in the toilet to change my hat.

I went to a cousin or something outside of what happened,

I worry for everybody, actually,

I would go upstairs,

I would make them live forever,

I would never have thought that it would be so many people.

I would say $24,000.

I'd keep filming, keep filming, keep filming.

I'll be your driver.

I'll take care of you, whatever, whatever.

I'm a ghost when I'm with them.

I'm Angie Crouch.

I'm expecting to see a mixture

I'm gonna do a flip.

I'm gonna put some more cans all the way...

I'm having a break.

I'm just gonna come with the idea and say,

I'm kind of a ghost.

I'm like a bird.

I'm like a bird.

I'm like, I don't know what you have on me.

I'm like, Uh...

I'm like, Where...are...you?

I'm making it an art amusement.

I'm not doing anything at any time.

I'm not doing anything. I'm not doing anything.

I'm not gonna arrest you.

I'm not gonna make it.

I'm not quite sure what I'm in for,

I'm playing chess.

I'm running the show.

I'm running the show.

I'm sure you can appreciate graffiti's a criminal offense.

I'm trying not to.

I'm walking to leave.

If he copies...

If I can ask you to stop any recording that you're doing.

If Thierry can pull it off, then amazing,

If this room stayed like this, that's cool, but...

If you're a graffiti rat and you're miles from home.

In a dramatic new direction.

In an apparent statement about how easy it is

In context as an entire body of work,

In its entirety,

In just a few moments, we will begin our trip...

In one art show in my entire life.

In one moment, they stopped the train.

In order to do it, so I said,

In some ways,

In the city.

In the city's most bohemian shopping district,

In the early 1980s.

In the end, it's gonna become, like, a big space

In the show.

In the show.

In this tiny world of street art,

Into a street art spectacular filled not just with paintings

Into a universally recognized icon.

Into an international news event.

Into the epic documentary

Into the venue for his first major U.S. exhibition,

Into unique, collectible MBW originals.

Invader visited Los Angeles for the first time,

Invite a few people, get some bottles of wine?

Is a slight oxymoron, I think.

Is all about brainwashing.

Is built to last, like, hundreds of years.

Is Mickey Mouse gonna be there today?

Is this unlikely...

Is to show that Los Angeles can have great shows.

It comes to a point that I got accepted.

It didn't stop.

It is giant.

It is real?

It just didn't stop.

It just seemed to go on and on.

It looks like it's sort of a one trick pony,

It seemed to be a very, very serious thing indeed.

It was an hour and a half

It was at that point that I realized

It was beyond my expectation, like they say.

It was going in a box somewhere.

It was going nowhere.

It was kind of fun,

It was like a big adventure every night.

It was like a need to be captured.

It was like getting something in the daylight

It was like having the key of getting all these people.

It was like more than any drugs to anybody.

It was magic that this person let me film, you know?

It was obsession.

It was the capturation.

It was the name of my best friend

It was, like, an enjoyment to get pushed, you know.

It was, like, kind of a vision that I saw.

It wasn't important, how it was made.

It will go down in history.

It's a fascinating thing to observe,

It's a painting.

It's a triumph.

It's a very dangerous thing.

It's about time.

It's all money.

It's all the way on the side of your foot.

It's beautiful. Keep on doing it.

It's because everything that I do

It's before Batman.

It's cast in bronze, or it's oil on canvas,

It's full of pictures,

It's gonna have bars here.

It's good, you know? It's good.

It's gothic.

It's impossible, but how am I gonna make it?

It's just so much work to do, prices, and...

It's like being an artist overnight.

It's like gold, you know?

It's nearly finished.

It's not about the hype.

It's not about the money.

It's not straight! Up a bit.

It's okay.

It's okay. I can do another three minutes.

It's really big.

It's the biggest elephant I ever saw in my life.

It's to take pictures.

It's, like, I changed Elvis.

It's, like, to trying to do some lines

It's... anthropologically, sociologically,

Just eight hours before the doors opened,

Just listen to me.

Just put them all like that.

Just say when.

Just wait one second. Okay.

Keep your eye out for the cops.

Kind of the same story of Obey,

Kind of way,

L.A. Weekly.

L.A. Weekly.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Leading the artist to some of the best painting spots

Let's make the show go on!

Letting Thierry capture every moment

Like I saw in Banksy's show,

Like this, I don't... you know, I'm clear.

Like, he goes, and he, like...

Like, Let him film.

Like, The guy's gonna film me one time, two times,

Like, there is a park amusement;

Like, they said that I'm as good as that, you know?

Like, this room looks cool.

Like, what I say:

Look at the pink.

Look at this. It's really big.

Looking for sculptors or artists who could work in papier mâché.

Looking like something out of the 1860s,

Looks a bit like Banksy,

Lot number 33A, Banksy,

Making a documentary,

MALE NARRATOR: This guy was Thierry Guetta,

Many of the biggest names in the street art world

Marked the point at which street art

May I have your attention, please?

Maybe he got a bit lucky.

Maybe I needed to trust somebody.

MBW was front page news.

Me, as respecting him, you know,

Mr. Brainwash still had plenty to do,

My phone rings.

Myself and my girlfriend, Sonja, went down there,

NARRATOR: A few days later, Los Angeles awoke

NARRATOR: A few months after Thierry had seen him in London,

NARRATOR: A few months later,

NARRATOR: A few weeks after their chance encounter in L.A.,

NARRATOR: After four hours of questioning,

NARRATOR: After ten months of Thierry's constant presence,

NARRATOR: All his years of filming

NARRATOR: And just when it seemed that the pressure

NARRATOR: And when Invader returned to France,

NARRATOR: As Thierry persevered

NARRATOR: As time passed, those who knew Thierry

NARRATOR: Back in L.A.,

NARRATOR: Banksy had put Thierry well and truly on the spot.

NARRATOR: Barely Legal

NARRATOR: But Banksy could never have guessed

NARRATOR: But Banksy had more on his mind

NARRATOR: But Banksy's close knit team

NARRATOR: But it wasn't just Shepard

NARRATOR: But Mr. Brainwash had some catching up to do.

NARRATOR: But the ultimate validation

NARRATOR: But there was one very unusual thing

NARRATOR: But Thierry was still finding distractions

NARRATOR: By mid afternoon,

NARRATOR: Eventually, with only three hours left

NARRATOR: Finally, the doors opened

NARRATOR: Following all the press coverage,

NARRATOR: For five years,

NARRATOR: For the rest of Banksy's stay,

NARRATOR: For the rest of Banksy's stay,

NARRATOR: Held in an interrogation room,

NARRATOR: In his new role as documentary filmmaker,

NARRATOR: Needing an operation,

NARRATOR: Originally booked to run for just five days,

NARRATOR: Outside, the first eager art fans

NARRATOR: So now Thierry had to come up with a way

NARRATOR: So now, using the formula he had seen work so well

NARRATOR: That night when Shepard did meet Space Invader,

NARRATOR: The day after his close shave with Disneyland,

NARRATOR: The endorsements

NARRATOR: The following spring, Thierry returned to England.

NARRATOR: The L.A. Weekly also reported

NARRATOR: The magical combination

NARRATOR: The youngest in a large family,

NARRATOR: Thierry had accidentally found a focus.

NARRATOR: Thierry had now remortgaged his business

NARRATOR: Thierry returned home to Los Angeles