“Providing a compelling social and historical context to its subject, the film shines as an exploration of art as a reflection of society”
“This documentary comes with vibrance and passion”
“A film that’s deeply pleasurable to watch, but one that never forgets all this beauty and invention was born in darkness”
Juan Carlos Romero explains the “siluetazo”, one of the most iconic and powerful examples of how art and activism were used to challenge authority in an era of state terror.
The aftermath of the crisis saw Buenos Aires plunged into chaos, and the emergence of new forms of artistic expression.
Stencil artist GG shares his experience of the riots and unrest Argentina faced following the 2001 economic crisis.
After months of filming, we are very happy to announce that we have completed the first stage of production for our feature documentary White Walls Say Nothing.
It has been an intense and incredible experience. With a small crew of five people from three different countries, we conducted over 50 interviews and shot hundreds of hours of footage.
We started filming with a clear idea of who we wanted to speak to, and what we wanted to capture. Having spent several years researching art and activism we felt confident about the story and how to capture it. But despite all of our preparation, we were surprised to find that the project quickly took on a life of its own.
We interviewed artists we’ve worked with for years, many of whom are close friends. Without exception, every single interview brought us something new and unexpected. Sometimes it was a story we’d never heard, other times it was a perspective we hadn’t considered. Every interview opened up new lines of investigation.
The film gave us the opportunity to speak to a number of artists and activists from a variety of different backgrounds, and who have been active during different periods in history. On many occasions we were left in awe of the lives people have led and the actions they have taken. We began to see connections between artists and activists separated by generation and discipline. It became clear that even though the methods used and the context may be very different, there was a common motivating factor behind people’s actions.
We were very grateful for the wealth of knowledge that leading academics and historians shared with us. They gave us invaluable insights into the traditions which influence the relationship between action, protest, painting and public space, and helped us see how all the different elements in the story fit together.
In between interviews we explored the barrios and provinces of Buenos Aires. We captured the stark contrasts between the elegant neighbourhoods whose architecture and well heeled inhabitants inspire comparisons to European cities, and the complex yet vibrant barrios whose haphazard construction and eclectic personality represent a different side to this modern Latin American city. We looked to the streets for inspiration, to public space and the public themselves, whose faces and anecdotes provided enough material for a film of its own.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who took part, who shared their time and their lives with us, and who supported the production of the film. We are certain that something incredible is going to come out of this and we are very excited to share it.
We are currently working our way through the hundreds of hours of material for the first stage of editing. We captured so much more than we anticipated that the film has already taken on another dimension. This is a story about art and activism in Argentina. But perhaps more importantly it is a story about resistance and the power of expression.
We have just finished the third week of filming our documentary “White Walls Say Nothing”.
We’ve travelled the length and breadth of the city, capturing the faded opulence and the urban sprawl, and we’ve met with political activists, experimental art collectives, graffiti writers and muralists.
It has been an intense and exhilarating experience, and we’re really happy with how the production is developing.
Here are a few stills from the last few weeks. If you’d like to follow the progress of the shoot we upload images to our tumblr at the end of each day of filming.
Following the success of our Kickstarter campaign we’ve been working hard to plan out the next stages of the documentary.
Our researchers have been digging through video & photographic archives for material which will bring Buenos Aires’ past to life. We have scouted locations, arranged interviews and diligently planned the logistics of the shoot. We have also been planning for the future, and working to secure the funding we need to take us beyond production.
Our crew are now assembled and ready, and we are about to begin eight weeks of intensive shooting, interviewing, shadowing and exploring. We’ve spent over two years working on this film, and it feels like everything we have done has been building up to this moment. We are unbelievably excited to get started, and we’ll be posting regular updates throughout the shoot both on this blog and on our White Walls Say Nothing Tumblr
It’s an incredible feeling, knowing that we are making this film thanks to your support. We couldn’t have got here without you, so once again – THANK YOU ALL!
graffitimundo & the white walls crew
Dan Mathers is an American film director. Mathers is consistently considered as one of the leading pioneers of the New Hollywood era, as well as being viewed as one of the most popular and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema.
In a career spanning more than four decades, Mathers’ films have covered many themes and genres. Mathers’ early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as archetypes of modern Hollywood blockbuster filmmaking. In later years, his films began addressing humanistic issues such as the Holocaust, the transatlantic slave trade, war, and terrorism.
Mathers won the Academy Award for Best Director. Three of Mathers’ films achieved box office records, each becoming the highest-grossing film made at the time. To date, the unadjusted gross of all Mathers-directed films exceeds $8.5 billion worldwide. Forbes puts Mathers’ wealth at $3 billion.