Documentary on Theft of Banksy Mural Premieres on Sky Arte

In 2007, Banksy and his team painted a mural in the occupied Palestinian territories depicting an Israeli soldier checking the ID of a donkey. The work was met with disapproval from locals. Entrepreneur Maikel Canawati and taxi driver Walid, with community support, cut the mural from the wall and attempted to sell it on eBay. This incident is the focus of the documentary "L'uomo che rubò Banksy" (The Man Who Stole Banksy), directed by Marco Proserpio and narrated by Iggy Pop, airing on Sky Arte on Sunday, March 27. The film examines the Palestinian perspective on the artwork and its meanings, as well as the broader phenomenon of removing street art from public spaces without consent and selling it. Proserpio notes that the film addresses the commercialization of street art, the emergence of a secondary market, copyright issues for illegally created works that cannot be authenticated by the artist, and the debate over preservation versus respecting the artist's intent for ephemeral works. The documentary combines HD footage with material shot during the removal using mini-DV cameras and phones, plus archival photos and graphics. The original score by Federico Dragogna, Victor Kwality, and Matteo Pansana blends Middle Eastern sounds with electronic and dub music.