Greek Australian Eirini Alligiannis is a passionate and talented photographer and cinematographer. Her documentary Louis (KR.ONE) Gasparro, a project that is close to her heart, has been winning awards including honourable mentions in the Hollywood Independent Film-makers Awards and Queen Palm Independent Film Festival.
Most recently her short documentary Louie Gasparro: Five Points was selected to be shown at a New York Film Festival 'The Cutting Room International Short' and Eirini spoke to GCT about the inspiration behind it.
Tell us about the inspiration behind your short film?
The documentary unfolded out of serendipity while I was in New York on an art adventure. I saw Louie adding his last pieces on the graffiti Mecca 5Pointz which inspired me. So I had to run back to my home to get my camera to showcase his passion and knowledge about 5Pointz.
I knew this was a story I wanted to share with the rest of the world - the subject, his work, and this place.
5Pointz has become a part of Queen’s history for over 40 years. A great collection of artists had fought for this place initially, despite it no longer being there. It has left a massive impression internationally, celebrating collaborative work. Louie speaks candidly about his brother and his connection to the work he’s contributed there and talks about the world of a graffiti artist.
New York City is undoubtedly one of the most influential cities in the world, and discovering a part of it (Queen’s) through art has opened a new layer for me. I wanted to share the experiences that I saw through my own eyes, for anyone that wanted to learn a prime example of fighting for the sake of art. Louie is an incredible individual who shows why he does what he loves, and how it connects with the people.
What type of impact would you like this film to have on its audience?
My goal is to represent graffiti as a powerful art form and the artists behind it who want to use their voices.
The cultural significance of graffiti is just as relevant as the process of fine arts, being an integral part of mapping cultural identities from all walks of life. Art is therapy, language and universal, which should be accessible to all.
I want to inspire people who find art intimidating or inaccessible to persist on any canvas, anywhere you are in the world. My message is here: Don’t let anyone stop you from creating.
I would like to develop the project further profiling international artists from around the world, exploring the cultural impact of the art form in different cultures.
While in Los Angeles this year I got introduced to a lovely man Chris Campbell. He is the Creative Director of Mr. Glasses Agency. Chris builds emotional connections. They design, plan and execute events, campaigns and shareable experiences with a three-dimensional storytelling approach to marketing.
Therefore I will collaborate with Chris to make my next documentary about Secret Walls.
Tell us more about Secret Walls?
Secret Walls is the original black and white illustration battle and the biggest and best live art party in the world. Since 2006, Secret Walls has taken over the global art community, working with the best local talent to spotlight this generation’s artists like never before. In hosting live art events, Secret Walls has embodied the culture of street art and evolved into a thrilling expression of contemporary art that brings people together in cities around the world, celebrates diversity and supports local artists.