Patutiki, The Guardians of Marquesan Tattoo

This documentary takes us to the middle of the Pacific in the archipelago of the Marquesas.

Over the centuries, the practice of tattooing has developed into a unique vocabulary and art that has its roots in Marquesan culture and stories, a way of seeing the world and their place in it that encapsulates the memories and history of these islands.

With tattoo declared illegal by colonisers, church and state in the early 1900s, the last of the ‘black-skinned’ Marquesan elders have found clever ways to guard their history. The filmmakers delve into how Marquesan people are rediscovering and celebrating this artform.

The first film to be directed, written, and produced by a native Marquesan, Patutiki was presented in partnership with the Festival International du Film Documentare Oceanien (FIFO), Tahiti's prestigious International Oceanian Documentary Film Festival, where the film won the Audience Prize in 2019.