The Way of the Ink
Director Pamela Valente
Countries France
Duration 71 min
Synopsis
Horitoshi Sensei is one of the last accomplished masters of irezumi, the art of traditional Japanese tattoo. Pascal is a young French journalist specialized in tattoo who discovered Horitoshi’s designs in a magazine and felt in love with them. Although he does not have much money, Pascal decided to go to Tokyo to have all his back tattooed by Horitoshi. When the film starts, he is at his fourth trip, but his tattoo is far from being finished. Pascal is our guide in this travel to discover irezumi. We see Horitoshi working and he explains the mysteries of irezumi, these awesome coloured frescoes that cover all the body. We learn about its History and its links with other traditonal arts like ukiyo-e and kabuki with the curator of the Ota Museum, one of the best places to see beautiful ukiyo-e, the woodblock prints that so much influenced irezumi. Pascal talks to young people in the streets to check if they are still interested in irezumi, and he meets a young and talented young female tattoo artist. He also meets women tattooed who suffer with the bad reputation of irezumi bearers – that of people linked to the yakuzas, the Japanese mafia. One of them is actually the daughter of a big boss who decided to let the milieu behind. This is also an art film that aims to show the 19th century Tokyo where irezumi blossomed. The legends of some of the designs will be told through stylized animated cartoons. Abstract scenes on top of buildings and in a public bath let us take a good look at beautiful fully tattooed bodies. To complete this atmosphere, a special attention is paid to the sounds and music. Traditional instruments are employed and the typical sound of the tebori –the tattoo by hand, with needles on top of a bamboo stick- marks the film sound design.
Horitoshi Sensei is one of the last accomplished masters of irezumi, the art of traditional Japanese tattoo. Pascal is a young French journalist specialized in tattoo who discovered Horitoshi’s designs in a magazine and felt in love with them. Although he does not have much money, Pascal decided to go to Tokyo to have all his back tattooed by Horitoshi. When the film starts, he is at his fourth trip, but his tattoo is far from being finished. Pascal is our guide in this travel to discover irezumi. We see Horitoshi working and he explains the mysteries of irezumi, these awesome coloured frescoes that cover all the body. We learn about its History and its links with other traditonal arts like ukiyo-e and kabuki with the curator of the Ota Museum, one of the best places to see beautiful ukiyo-e, the woodblock prints that so much influenced irezumi. Pascal talks to young people in the streets to check if they are still interested in irezumi, and he meets a young and talented young female tattoo artist. He also meets women tattooed who suffer with the bad reputation of irezumi bearers – that of people linked to the yakuzas, the Japanese mafia. One of them is actually the daughter of a big boss who decided to let the milieu behind. This is also an art film that aims to show the 19th century Tokyo where irezumi blossomed. The legends of some of the designs will be told through stylized animated cartoons. Abstract scenes on top of buildings and in a public bath let us take a good look at beautiful fully tattooed bodies. To complete this atmosphere, a special attention is paid to the sounds and music. Traditional instruments are employed and the typical sound of the tebori –the tattoo by hand, with needles on top of a bamboo stick- marks the film sound design.