Our favourite graffiti movies and documentaries

Street art cinema — In Huck 51, photographer Valerio Polici revealed his world of underground graffiti. Here are movies and documentaries that celebrate the culture of street art.

Graffiti was the ultimate escape, reflects photographer Valerio Polici in Huck 51 – The Adventure Issue. Cutting his teeth bombing the mean streets of Rome, Europe’s underground scene became was his world.

Running from the authorities, living on your nerve, and forging lasting bonds with other writers, becomes an all consuming lifestyle, and the danger, the illegality of it all, pulls people in and keeps them coming back for more. Valerio has chronicled his former graffiti life through photographs and anecdotes in his awesome book Ergo Sum.

In this playlist, we collect the best street art movies and documentaries.

Bomb It

Stations of the Elevated

Style Wars

Wild Style

Gimme the Loot

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

Exit Through the Gift Shop

KCBR – Live Life Like

Piece By Piece: San Francisco Graffiti

Alter Ego

Kings and Toys

Bomber (King of Rotterdam)

New York Subway Graffiti Kings

Check out the full article in Huck 51 – The Adventure Issue. Grab a copy in the Huck Shop  or subscribe today to make sure you don’t miss another issue.


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