TOP 5: GRAFFITI MOVIES

Graffiti has long ceased to be a subcultural phenomenon only known by a small circle of people. Nowadays, it can be seen in fairs and exhibitions all over the world, it has influenced marketing and advertising, and its originators are celebrated like stars. As part of the popular culture, of course graffiti also found its way into the cinemas - with huge success. These are our TOP 5 Graffiti Movies of all time:

Wild Style!

Released in 1983, this movie soon became very popular outside of the graffiti scene and made a huge impact on the global hip hop movement. It featured a legendary cast including Grandmaster Flash and the Rocksteady Crew, and its soundtrack was sampled by huge artists like Nas. Interestingly, it was only made possible due to a financing by the german broadcaster ZDF. This is also why the movie premiered on German television!

Stylewars

1983 also saw the birth of another very popular graffiti based movie: “Stylewars”. In contrast to the motion picture “Wild Style”, “Stylewars” is a documentary focusing on the life of young and rising artists, but also addresses the public and the political perception of the graffiti movement. The realistic insights into the growing hip-hop scene as well as the wide range of opinions represented in “Stylewars” make the movie very special until this day.

Martha - A Picture Story

Photojournalist Martha cooper is known for documenting the graffiti scene since the 1970´s. Her work, especially the book “Subway Art” (made in collaboration with Henry Chalfant), is often referred to as the “graffiti bible”. For “Martha - A Picture Story”, filmmaker Selina Miles turned the camera around on Cooper. Not only does the movie show the beginning of her fascinating career and also her most famous photographs, but the filmmaker also accompanies the now 77 year old woman and some graffiti artists on some furtive missions.

1UP - The Movie

Without any official distribution, the crew 1UP published this movie in 2011. With its amazing action-packed footage, drone flight pictures and even some animations, it revolutionized the way graffiti movies are made. It also has a strong focus on the team concept and solidarity, showing a part of the scene that outsiders often do not recognize. It truly is a movie made from the graffiti scene for the graffiti scene.

Girl Power

As it is the case in many cultural fields, the topic of gender equality finally also found its way into the world of graffiti. The movie “Girl Power” by czech filmmaker and sprayer Sany shows the life and the art of 28 female artists - and their struggle to make it in a world dominated by cis-men. It took over 7 years to finish the movie, but it was definitely worth the time: “Girl Power” is empowering and inspiring!