Street art, struggle and revolution collide in this beautifully shot film about art’s ability to
create change. The story opens on the politically charged Thailand/Burma border at the first
school teaching street art as a form of non-violent struggle. The film follows two young girls
(Romi & Yi-Yi) who have escaped 50 years of civil war in Burma to pursue an arts education in
Thailand. Under the threat of imprisonment and torture, the girls use spray paint and stencils
to create images in public spaces to let people know the truth behind Burma's transition
toward "artificial democracy." As the art school's reputation grows, the girls are contacted by
street artist JR and asked to join him in his global street art campaign, The Inside Out Project,
with the goal to "transform messages of personal identity into works of art." Eighty-two
hundred miles away, artist Shepard Fairey paints a 30’ mural of a Burmese monk for the
same reasons and in support of the students' struggle in Burma. As these stories are inter-cut, the film connects these seemingly unrelated characters around the concept of using art
as a weapon for change.
Website:
artasaweapon.infoLink to Trailer:
https://vimeo.com/78875453
