Sacred ink meets colonial scars in this hypnotic journey to tattoo's forbidden origins.
First-time feature filmmakers Heretu Tetahiotupa, Christophe Cordier delve into the ritual art of Marquesan tattoo, sharing its cultural and historical significance by reenacting the past and challenging the present.
Cinematography
Skin becomes landscape; close-ups so intimate they feel intrusive.
Direction
First-timers with zero chill — every choice feels deliberately uncommercial.
Director
Heretu Tetahiotupa
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Patutiki was banned by French colonial authorities in 1884; this film documents its clandestine 136-year survival.
Directors spent three years earning trust before filming — several tattoo masters appear here for the first and only time on camera.
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