Marks of Mana


Marks of Mana is a documentary about Pacific female tattooing. It is the first film to cover the subject.

Background

The film was produced and directed by Lisa Taouma, a New Zealand film maker of Samoan ancestry. It features Samoan tatau artist Tyla Vaeau Ta’ufo’ou of an indigenous tattoo studio on K’ Road called Karanga Ink. In the film she returns to Samoa to learn more and reconnect.
The film won the 2018 best documentary award at the imagineNATIVE indigenous film festival in Toronto, Canada and the Best Cinematography award at the DocEdge Festival in Aotearoa 2019. It also won the Best Pasifika Programme at the 2020 New Zealand TV Awards.
The song "Pese o le tatau" which was performed by Mema Wilda was commissioned for the film.

Reception

The film had its New Zealand premiere in Wellington. It was also set to screen at the imagineNATIVE indigenous film festival in Toronto, Canada in the week following the Wellington premiere.
On 6 June 2021, the film was screened at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
The screening at the Queensland Multicultural Center which included a Q&A session with director Lisa Taouma, tatau artist Julia Gray, Maryann Talia Pau and Lanatina from House of Iliganoa was sold out.

Credits