Exit Through the Gift Shop is a beguiling and at times bewildering documentary on the street art scene of the early naughties. Though the literature I had read led me to believe that it was about the notorious street artist Banksy, the film instead takes you on a fantastical journey through the life and times of a Frenchman named Thierry.

Cousin of Invader – a street artist whose placement of Space Invaders creatures in public places was his calling card – Thierry is a former shop-owner and compulsive cameraman. Thierry’s obsessive use of recording equipment led him into documenting the every movement of many key players in the street art scene. Invader and Obey (Shepard Fairey) eventually led Thierry to Banksy, who allowed Thierry to film his creative process, join him in setting up his projects, and inadvertently made a monster out of him.

Full of frenetic energy and narrated by the enigmatic Rhys Ifans, the film combines much of Thierry’s original footage and on-camera interviews with Thierry, Banksy, key street artists, and people who became involved with Theirry’s all-encompassing artistic madness.

It is quite a journey to undertake. The film is perfectly timed and measured so that we learn about Thierry, trust him as Banksy did, then recoil in horror as his manic ambition sets in and overtakes the scene. Thierry used to follow Banksy around like a young pup, wide-eyed and full of enthusiasm. Seeing the error of his ways, Banksy now regards Thierry as a once loveable pet gone errant – still obedient, but taking the game far beyond its natural limits.

Exit Through The Gift Shop opens in select UK cities on Friday, 5th March.

The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, where 5 works attributed to Banksy appeared days before the event.

[Image from Guardian website.]

Scottish filmmaker Kevin MacDonald (Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void) visited Glasgow Film Festival this week to discuss his career in filmmaking. The talk was part of the University of Aberdeen’s series of interviews entitled The Director’s Cut, which was on the road this week as part of the festival. Janice Forsyth conducted the interview on behalf of BBC Radio Scotland, where the interview will be broadcast later this week.

Tracing the trajectory of MacDonald’s career, Forsyth began the talk by introducing his 1999 feature-length documentary, One Day in September, which received an Academy Award for Best Documentary. His second documentary, Touching the Void, moved into fiction with the use of actors and reconstructions of true events. He described the intensity of shooting in Peru and the Alps, and the challenges they confronted. Moving on to discuss his first feature film, The Last King of Scotland, he described the process of finding actors, and his loyalty to James McAvoy paying off. Less enamoured with Forrest Whittaker, he described Whittaker’s method acting which, one surmises, was on the brink of going native.

MacDonald’s most recent film State of Play was released a year ago. Based on the television show of the same name, it stars Russell Crowe, Hellen Mirren, and Rachel McAdams as reporters of a sinking newspaper firm. MacDonald spoke about Brad Pitt’s initial interest in the project, the process of adapting the film, and his disagreements with Brad Pitt and eventual casting of Russell Crowe and, “making it up as we went along”.

His latest film was only briefly touched upon. Eagle of the Ninth, now in post-production, is the story of a Roman centurion who arrives in Scotland to solve the mystery of his father’s death in Scotland. Shot in Scotland, not far from MacDonald’s hometown, it stars a number of Scottish, English, and Irish actors. The Romans, in a twist of cunning filmmaking, are played by Americans (rather than the typical imperialist English, he supposes).

MacDonald also discussed the heritage of filmmaking in his family. His brother, Andrew, is a successful film producer. Their grandfather was the Hungarian-born filmmaker Emeric Pressburger, half of the legendary British filmmaking duo Powell & Pressburger, who created such post-war, British New Wave classics as The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and A Matter of Life and Death. Although Kevin MacDonald’s films appear to be more well-known than his name, he has proven himself as a remarkable Scottish filmmaker. From his feature-length documentaries to his more recent feature films, his penchant for potent situations and intense emotion makes his films utterly enthralling.

Eagle of the Ninth is set for UK release in September.

To listen to the condensed interview, tune into BBC Radio Scotland’s The Movie Café this Thursday, 4th March, at 1.15pm. It will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.