Paper & Glue
The artist JR uses large-scale art installations to challenge perspectives and give a voice to everyday people around the world.
Taking on the moniker of a photograffeur, JR's large-scale mural portraiture has adorned streets from Paris to Rio. With Paper & Glue, JR turns the camera on his own work, as he undertakes massive installation efforts on the US-Mexico border, inside the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, on the courtyard of a supermax prison, and more. In each location, JR captures images of residents of these unique communities and memorializes them in striking, massive, black-and-white photo installations, turning some of the most provocative spaces of the world into eye-catching immersive art that challenges perspectives and unites communities. (Source: Tribeca Film Festival)
- Year
- 2021
- Hunter's role
- Cinematographer & Producer
- Director
- JR
- Type
- Feature Doc
- Runtime
- 94 minutes
- Countries
- USA (CA), Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), France (Paris), Mexico (Tecate)
Collaborators
- JR — Artist, Filmmaker, Photographer. Based in Paris and New York.
- Sara Bernstein — President, Imagine Documentaries
- Keiko Deguchi
- Geralyn White Dreyfous — Founder, Chicken & Egg Pictures; Co-founder, Impact Partners
- Regina K. Scully — Founder & CEO, Artemis Rising Foundation
- Marc Benioff — Chair & CEO, Salesforce; Co-owner, TIME
- Ron Howard — Co-chairman, Imagine Entertainment
- Brian Grazer — Co-chairman, Imagine Entertainment
- Eyal Levy — International Producer, Artist, Cinematographer.
- Marc Azoulay — JR Studio Director
- Dallas Brennan Rexer
- Jenny Raskin — Executive Director, Impact Partners
- Adam Peters
- Justin Wilkes — President & Chief Creative Officer, Imagine Entertainment
- Sol Guy
Awards
PREMIERE: Tribeca Film Festival — June 19, 2021 (World Premiere; Q&A moderated by Jane Rosenthal, Tribeca co-founder) WINS (3+): • Hamptons IFF — Brizzolara Family Foundation Award for Films of Conflict & Resolution (2021) • Hamptons IFF — Victor Rabinowitz & Joanne Grant Award for Social Justice (2021) • ARCA Art Film Festival, Uruguay — $68,000 sculpture prize (2022) NOMINATIONS (2): • 43rd News & Documentary Emmy — Best Documentary (2022) • 43rd News & Documentary Emmy — Outstanding Arts & Culture Documentary (2022) RECOGNITION: • Qualified for Academy Award consideration • Angelina Jolie attended LA premiere at Museum of Tolerance
Festivals
Tribeca Film Festival — June 19, 2021 (World Premiere; Q&A moderated by Jane Rosenthal, Tribeca co-founder) • Hamptons International Film Festival 2021 (2x WINNER) • ARCA Art Film Festival, Uruguay (WINNER) • LA Premiere at Museum of Tolerance (Angelina Jolie attended with Shiloh & Pax) • Theatrical release — December 10, 2021 (Abramorama) • MSNBC Films broadcast premiere
Real-world impact
JR's installations directly engaged marginalized communities worldwide — supermax prison inmates, favela residents, and families on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border — turning their faces into monumental public art that challenged how the world sees them. The Tecate border installation, featured prominently in the film, became one of JR's most iconic works and a symbol of human connection across political divides. The film demonstrated that collaborative public art can humanize and empower people who are too often overlooked, inspiring ongoing projects in prisons and underserved communities around the globe.