Banksy: Most Wanted
by Karen Pecota

Filmmakers Seamus Haley, Laurent Richard and Aurelia Rouvier together take the film audience on a fascinating world tour in search of the infamous street artist Banksy. It's true that Banksy is a household name but very few know the actual identity of the artist or artists. In Banksy: Most Wanted we will learn more about the artwork, the messages, and understand the choice as well as the significance of being an artist incognito.

Banksy is a prankster with a sincere message about so many social issues. The documentary opens with the prank Banksy set up during an auction at Sutherby's when the Banksy revered piece of art of the little girl with the balloon was on the auction block. How it even got to the auction is somewhat of a mystery. The filmmakers were able to get ahold of the archival film footage that captured the intensity of the crowd within the auction house awaiting the sale of the Banksy piece.

As soon as the auctioneer declared the piece sold, a beautifully orchestrated destruction of the artwork transpired before the eyes of everyone in attendance. This is Banksy! It's a statement on so many levels and communicated just the way Banksy designs.

Banksy continues to make street art worth millions but if you try to remove it from its original location, beware of the consequences. He/She/They (Banksy and/or the team) will find you and make you pay dearly for your infringement on the Banksy privacy, the message and the artistic creation for whom it is intended. The filmmakers showcase a very costly case in point.

There has only been one time when Banksy has allowed his art to be sold and removed from its original location. In the part of England where Banksy is known to have grown up, the local Boys Club was in dire straits financially. Banksy finds out the details of the situation and creates a Banksy masterpiece with a message connecting the tragedy. The artwork is placed on a side door of the run-down building where the Boys Club has been operating for decades. The Boys Club has been a light and a hope for many children. The regularly scheduled activities are only one part of the club's success. The other part is those who run the club, manage the club, care for the club, as well as tend to the kids that regularly participate in club activities.

The specifics are explained by the filmmakers but the lack of funds to pay rent, building maintenance and supplies for the kids became too much for the owner to handle. Banksy steps-up to present a gift of a lifetime to the Boys Club owners--incognito of course!

Banksy:  Most Wanted is a fascinating narrative about an artist with heart. You don't want to miss it.