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225_tattoouprising
Tattoo Uprising

Director - Alan Govenar
Run Time - 75 minutes
Language - English
Format - Digital
Year - 2019
Genre - Documentary

Educational Interests- American Studies, Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Design, New Releases

Institutional DVD Price: $245

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From antiquity to the present, Tattoo Uprising reveals the artistic and historical roots of today's tattoo explosion. This sweeping overview explores Biblical references and early Christian practices before moving on to the voyages of Captain James Cook and finally to our modern day, ever-evolving use of the tattoo in the Western world.

Alan Govenar began work on this film in 1980 while finishing his acclaimed short documentary Stoney Knows How. Tattoo Uprising features some of the most extraordinary people of the tattoo world including Ed Hardy, Stoney St. Clair, Cynthia Witkin, Calamity Jane, Anne de Hey! and more, as well as an unforgettable appearance by filmmaker Werner Herzog, who allows a rare glimpse at his Ed Hardy tattoo. The film was shot in part by the late legendary filmmaker Les Blank, who also appears on camera.

"Alan Govenar's forty-years-in-the-making documentary celebrates the art of inking human bodies. There's plenty of tattooing, the camera getting up close and personal as needles buzz into flesh, creating complicated, daring, and exquisite designs, using the human body as a living canvas." - This Week in New York

"Wide-ranging. Ever wondered if Werner Herzog has a tattoo? Thanks to Les Blank, he does. And watching him display it during the production of Fitzcarraldo is one of the biggest draws for cinephiles in Alan Govenar's Tattoo Uprising." - The Hollywood Reporter

"You've probably always wanted to see Werner Herzog's tattoo, am I right? Now's your chance. Folklorist, writer, and filmmaker Alan Govenar's documentary features vintage footage of the mercurial auteur showing off his Ed Hardy design, as well as other footage dating from all the back to 1980 to the present day, and interviews with noted artists and tattoo aficionados including Hardy, Stoney St. Clair, Cynthia Witkin, and Anne de Hey!." - Leslie Combemale, AWFJ

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