The Inked Family

Of Time and the City(en)

British director Terence Davies reflects on his birthplace of Liverpool - his memories of growing up there and how it has changed in the years since - in the process meditating on the internal struggles and conflicts that have wracked him throughout his life and the history of England during the second half of the 20th century.

Stoney Knows How(en)

A visit with a master of the Oldest Art In The World: tattooing. Disabled by arthritis since the age of four, confined to a wheelchair, his growth stunted, Stoney St. Clair joined the circus at 15 as a sword swallower. A year later he took up tattooing, and traveled with circuses and carnivals for fifty years practicing his craft. As we watch him at work, we see the determination which led Stoney to use his crippled hands in an art where mistakes are permanent, and we realize Stoney has overcome his handicap to heal himself and others with the magic of symbols. The film ends with a visit by New Age tattoo master Don Ed Hardy, who receives a permanent souvenir by Old School tattoo master Stoney.

Skin Pics(en)

A bold reveal of a rose tattoo opens this 1980 documentary on tattooing in New Zealand. The potted history includes visits to tattoo parlours on K' Road and Hastings, and the studios of industry legends Steve Johnson and Roger Ingerton. Tattooists discuss public stigma, people's reasons for getting inked, and popular designs: sailors, serpents, swallows and tā moko. Made for documentary slot Contact, Skin Pics chronicles a time when "folk art has become high art".

Signatures of the Soul(en)

Tattooing — "the world's oldest skin game" — is the subject of this iconic documentary. Writer/director Geoff Steven scored a major coup by signing Easy Rider legend Peter Fonda as his presenter. Travelling to Aotearoa, Samoa, Japan and the United States, the doco traces key developments in tattooing, including its importance in the Pacific, prison-inspired styles, and the influence of 1960s counterculture. Legendary tattooists feature (including Americans Ed Hardy and Jack Rudy), while the closing credits parade some eye-opening full body tattoos.

Fight for the F.A. Cup(en)

The best of the action from over 30 years of FA Cup finals at Wembley Stadium.

The Way of the Ink(fr)

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.

The Woman Behind the Tattoo Artist(tl)

Ang Babae sa Likod ng Mambabatok unravels the multiple layers of the almost mythological figure-living legend, Fang Od, a 92 year old woman who has been called the ‘Last [Traditional] Tattoo Artist of Kalinga.’ The first layer of the story is the one she is most famous for-being a tattoo artist. At her eyes, she continues to exhibit sharpness and precision in the very demanding art and skill of tattooing. The second layer shows her many stories as woman who has reached the age of looking back. She regales us with stories of her many suitors, of her youth, the dancing and the feasts. She also looks back with not just a tinge of regret that she never married nor had children of her own. Her body covered in tattoos is a landscape on its own mirroring the map of a woman who has chosen wittingly or unwittingly a road diverging from convention and in the process became a culture-bearer.

Tattoos: A Scarred History(en)

An exploration of how the once taboo art form has become socially acceptable.

The Boys Who Killed Jamie Bulger(en)

This powerful and disturbing documentary covers the outcry approaching the release of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, the two 10 year old boys who killed 2 year-old James Bulger in 1993. Re-telling the tragedy, the film presents the protests against their release from an institution, delves into the backgrounds of the killers, their terrible violent act and the impact it caused in UK. It also explores claims that their punishment has been a sham, as reporter Deborah Davies investigates how inmates at secure units are treated and interviews experts to learn whether eight years has been sufficient time to successfully rehabilitate the pair.

Mario Barth: Under The Skin(en)

Newcastle United v Liverpool(en)

An Edwardian football match at Newcastle's St James' Park ground.

The Last Supper(en)

A documentary of burgeoning popstar Frimann's last gig in Liverpool before moving back home to Norway

Behind the Rent Strike(en)

Kirby, on the outskirts of Liverpool, England, October 1972. A chronicle of the fourteen-month strike by thousands of tenants to protest against the £1 increase in council house rents due to the Housing Finance Act.

The Consecration of Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral(xx)

A day to remember - celebration and consecration in Liverpool.

PHOENIX(de)

Klopp's Champions: A Liverpool Love Story(en)

Jürgen Klopp helped engineer the end of one of the most notorious droughts in football history. Here's the story of how Liverpool become the champions of England once more.

Buzz(en)

The anti-Slumdog Millionaire in documentary form, "Buzz" charts the tumultuous rise of India's most famous tattoo artist as he struggles to overcome the demons of his poverty-stricken childhood through art.

Make Us Dream(en)

Steven Gerrard became perhaps the greatest player in the history of Liverpool FC, but did so when success and trophies were declining. It became his personal mission to lift the famous club back to the top. That loyalty raised him to God-like status with Liverpool fans, but was an unbearable burden, bringing with it a profound sense of responsibility to live up to their and his own expectations.

The End of the Storm(en)

Featuring exceptional access to Liverpool Football Club, this is the gripping inside story of the club’s 2019/20 Premier League winning season, set against the context of their global fan base waiting for 30 years of disappointment and near misses to come to an end.

Homo ErecTattoos(ko)

A terrible accident leaves a young soldier horribly scarred, but his rediscovery of art heals his wounded soul, in this brief but powerful animated documentary.