Documentary 'The Man Who Stole Banksy' Premieres at Turin Film Festival

Marco Proserpio's documentary 'The Man Who Stole Banksy' had its national premiere at the Torino Film Festival, exploring the theft of a street artwork that raised ethical and cultural questions. The film follows the story of Walid, who removed an entire wall of a house in Bethlehem bearing a Banksy mural and listed it on eBay for $100,000. Over six years, Proserpio tracked the concrete slab as it traveled through the Western world, delving into issues of copyright, private property, and the status of Palestine. The documentary features narration by Iggy Pop and examines the parallel market of illegally removed street art. Proserpio intentionally avoided contacting Banksy, using the artist as a pretext to discuss broader cultural differences. The film questions whether street art, born as ephemeral, can become museum art and when it is truly legal. Proserpio, passionate about graffiti as communication, distinguishes between illegal street art with a message and decorative murals. The documentary was completed without any response from Banksy's management, which Proserpio interprets as a positive sign.