The Samoan culture calls it "tatau". The Maori people call it "moko" or "puhoro." The Hawaiians refer to it as "kakau" or "uhi." And many others know it as tattoo.

Tracing back more than 2,000 years to the Pacific Islands, tattoo is an ancient art form that began as a rite of passage for Polynesians and has become a form of expression for people worldwide. Featuring traditional tattooing ceremonies, compelling interviews, and a breathtaking collection of tattoo body art, Skin Stories traces the roots of tattoo, highlighting individual stories and the evolution of cultural traditions in the Pacific.

Skin Stories is an anthology of stories and stunning images gathered from the hot spots of Pacific tattoo: from the steaming landscape of Rotorua in New Zealand to the vibrant gathering of the first international tattoo convention in Apia, Samoa; from the terraced, lush taro fields of Maui to the golden beaches of O’ahu and California.

The film explores the transformative power of an art inscribed on the body as a way to honor the past, to explore one’s inner-self, and to preserve a culture for the future.