I saw this film at North By Northeast in Toronto this summer and I have to say it's one of the best films I've seen on graffiti. I shouldn't even say "graffiti" because it goes completely above and beyond that as it focuses on street art, such as wheat paste illustrations and murals. I went into this screening thinking I was about to be bored to tears with yet another documentary on graf writers and all the same mumbo jumbo that goes along with it, but was completely blown away as Next takes an angle that very few accounts of street art have taken. This isn't a film about people writing their names, but a film about beautifying their cities. Next is a completely engaging documentary that touches upon urban identity from Canada, America, Japan, France and beyond. Essential viewing for all visual artists.
2 Reviews
An amazing inside look at this obscure sub-culture.
thebedtimestory25 June 2006
This film simply changed the way I thought about urban art. I had always admired the huge colorful pieces, but never simple words written on a wall. Since watching it I look carefully at the writing that is everywhere around us, and I have a newfound appreciation for it. I have come to find that a city without graffiti is a city without life. This film shows that thought and effort goes behind these peoples works, and not everything is just there to deface property. Its about expressing yourself, its about getting your name around, and its about showing people what you're all about. Like the great Banksy once said: "It's easier to get forgiveness than permission." If this world doesn't allow you to express yourself, you have to give yourself permission. "If you take the right, the right is yours." I give this film a 10 because it was everything I wanted to know and more, I wish it had never ended. A definite must see for any writer, and especially those who DON'T appreciate urban art.
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