Movies Similar to Basel Tattoo 2022

The Tattooist(2017)

Rooster Teeth’s Geoff Ramsey explores the subculture of tattoos and takes a crash course from a master tattoo artist.

The Crazy Life(2008)

Reflects a depressing and hopeless reality by following some of the members of "la dieciocho", the so-called 18th Street gang in a poor San Salvador neighborhood.

Prey for Rock & Roll(2003)

In late 1980s Los Angeles, Jacki and her all-girl punk rock band, Clam Dandy, are trying to make it big. On the verge of turning 40, Jacki decides that if the band's one last shot at the big time is unsuccessful, she will give up her dreams of stardom.

Tatoué percé...Ceci est mon corps(2009)

Stoney Knows How(1981)

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.

Tattoos: A Scarred History(2009)

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

ESSENTIEL — A Portrait

His work illustrates people. Densha Tattoo reflects on craft, inspiration and the scene. — What is the essence of a human being? One stitch at a time. A portrait about the tattoo artist.

The Suburbans(1999)

The Suburbans, a one-hit-wonder new wave band from the '80s, reunite at their bassist's wedding, where a promising young record executive sees the ensemble perform. When she encourages them to launch a revival, the group must weigh their dreams of fame and fortune against the reality of their relatively quiet domestic lives.

Modify(2006)

Stories of people who regard augmenting their bodies as a way of life, whether for artistic reasons or out of pure vanity.

Tatto(2025)

Suspension: The Ultimate Body Experience(1999)

A look into the world of body piercing and suspension and the people who do it.

TATTOO: A Celebration Of Body Art(1994)

Documentary based on interviews during the Birmingham Tattoo Convention in the early '90s.

The Way of the Ink(2011)

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 Man Whose Mind Exploded(2014)

In this "beautifully intimate and utterly unique piece of cinema", Toby Amies crosses the line between filmmaker and carer, trying to cope with the strange and hilarious world view of the fragile eccentric, Drako Zarharzar. A love story. Drako Oho Zaraharzar can remember modeling for Salvador Dali and hanging out with The Stones. But he can’t remember yesterday. Following a severe head injury, Drako Zaraharzar suffers from terrible memory loss, he can access memories from before his accident, but can’t imprint new ones. As he puts it, “the recording machine in my head doesn’t work”. Consequently, and as an antidote to depression he chose to live “completely in the now” according to the bizarre mottoes delivered to him whilst in a coma.

D'Inked: A Tattoo Removal Documentary(2017)

D'Inked is a documentary about the development of laser tattoo removal technology and how it has changed the culture of tattoos. The film follows a man named Jake on his 5-year journey through the process of removing a full color half sleeve tattoo. The film also features interviews with prominent figures in the tattoo and laser removal communities discussing the technological, physical and ethical realities of removing what has always been considered a definition of permanent.

Tattoo Girls(2018)

Tattoo girls is a memoir of life as it is and of women as they are. A window to the lives of seven women from the same city where nothing is exactly as it seems and reality is often hidden behind illusions. It's a female centric-film showcasing about a group of ordinary women (within a range of ages), and their different styles of daily life, showcasing their stories and the impact they have on society as real, everyday women. We are living in a era of the importance and empowerment of women throughout the world, and this documentary aims to convey ideas and topics to be felt, absorbed and discussed.

Signatures of the Soul(1984)

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.

Ink, Blood and Spirit(2014)

La folie du tatouage(2018)

Strange Life: The Breech(1998)

A collection of footage and interviews with strange people and their exploration into the unusual and extreme side of body modification.