Pitt Rivers Museum

Anthropologist and filmmaker Udi Mandel Butler and Alan Mandel explore the art of Henna in Birmingham. From techniques of application to how it is used to decorate the body and bring people together in celebration at festive occasions among Asian, North African and Arab communities in the UK.

Through conversations with leading tattooists from around the world, this film explores the artistry, philosophy, meaning and history of tattooing at the site of the 2010 London Tattoo Convention. The film conveys the importance of travelling and the tattoo convention, the commitment of members of the tattoo community to their art, and the challenges they face in reconciling tradition with modernity, and spirituality with mass-appeal.

At the conclusion of her fieldwork in the mountains of northern Luzon in the Philippines, anthropologist Analyn Salvador-Amore filmed an encounter with Hawaiian tattoo practitioner Keone Nunes and a Butbut tattoo practitioner Whang-ud. The conversations reveal a deep connection with traditional tattooing practices from Polynesia to the Philippines.

Four women from Oxford take a course in film-making with local film-maker Sharon Woodward from Oxford Film and Video Makers. They explore the changing cultural meaning of body decoration in British society.

Sixth-form artists from Cheney School search out the decorated and opinionated residents of Oxford to get their views on Body Art.

Maori artist George Nuku and Samoan artist Rosanna Raymond talk about the significance of traditional Polynesian tattoo designs and some of the stories behind them.