On March 23, the DGA’s Documentary Series screened the 2010 Academy Award-nominated film Exit Through the Gift Shop, directed by the controversial British graffiti artist known as Banksy.

In the film, an eccentric French shop owner decides to turn filmmaker and attempts to capture the world of graffiti art by following some of the best-known vandals at work. One of the participants is the infamously camera-shy Banksy, who refuses to be shown on screen unless he is blacked out or disguised. Ultimately Banksy takes over the project and turns the camera back on the would-be filmmaker, even to the point of convincing him to become a street artist himself known as MBW, an acronym for “Mr. Brainwash.” Exit Through the Gift Shop leaves the audience asking not only “what is art,” but also “what is real?”

The director may, or may not have been present at the screening held in the DGA’s Los Angeles theater due to the fact that Banksy is renowned for fiercely guarding his identity to avoid prosecution. However, the audience was treated to a post-screening panel discussion with DGA

Director-members Richard Pearce (Leap of Faith) and Doug Pray (Scratch) moderated by Documentary Series Subcommittee Chair Chuck Workman (Precious Images). The trio discussed the mystery surrounding the film and the recent influx of documentaries walking the fine line between truth and fiction.