Filmed over 5 years, this documentary goes behind the scenes at one of Britain's most remarkable institutions as it celebrates its 250th anniversary. Cameras go behind the scenes at the Royal Academy of Arts with unparalleled access.

From their iconic house and studio in London’s Brick Lane, Gilbert & George have been at the forefront of British art for over half a century. Their unmistakable art is stark, urban, poetic, profoundly romantic, brutally realistic, and wholly visionary. It has captivated mainstream audiences around the globe. By unpacking their long and literal walk through life – repeatedly likened to a Pilgrimage – substantially with their voices, and few other commentators, the film offers a rare, deep, and captivating insight into their personal philosophy.

Gilbert & George are renowned for presenting themselves as ‘living sculptures,’ fusing their art and identity with the external world. Their exploration of the bleak urban surrounds of 1980’s London, powerfully evoke the desires and tensions of its disillusioned youth alongside their own eccentricities. Poetic narration combines with vivid imagery that moves between the startlingly beautiful, the humorous, and the absurd. Church spires and city streets, youth and drunks, dancing and tea-drinking all take on an affecting symbolism when viewed from the unique perspective of Gilbert & George.

"Gilbert & George first presented the ‘Singing Sculpture’ in 1969, then repeated it over the next years in the UK, Europe and Australia, as well as New York for the opening of the Sonnabend Gallery in 1971. Standing on a table and with their faces and hands covered in metallic paint, Gilbert and George sing along to a recording of Flanagan and Allen’s old-time music-hall hit ‘Underneath the Arches’, all the while moving mechanically. An anthem to down-and-outs, the song became a mantra for the artists. Always happy to elaborate, they have said, ‘We think of ourselves as two funny tramps, rather than artists according to the popular idea.’

Alan Yentob meets the Turner Prize winning artists Gilbert & George at home. Over the last 40 years, British artists Gilbert and George have fascinated, outraged, delighted and confounded the art establishment. Since their first appearance as 'living sculptures' in the late 1960s, their work has persistently taken a provocative, often uncomfortable look at both their own lives and the life of the city that continues to inspire their art - London.

In this film, Gilbert and George discuss art, identity, religion and internationalism. They talk about many aspects of their 40-year long career to date, including their personal and working relationship, their graduation from St Martins School of Art in 1967 and the changing landscape around their house and studio on Fournier Street, East London.