The Modern Mambabatok: Lane Wilcken and Filipino Tattooing in the Diaspora
The Modern Mambabatok (2019) follows Lane Wilcken as he travels the United States practicing traditional Filipino hand-tap tattooing. Through Wilcken’s personal and professional journeys as a mambabatok, traditional tattoo practitioner, audiences gain insight into the history of ancient Filipino hand-tap tattooing, its near extinction, and its recent revival and practice in the Filipino diaspora. The Modern Mambabatok chronicles this resurgence of traditional hand-tap tattooing and how batoks, hand-tap tattoos, are used to express Filipino and Filipino American identity today.
This ethnographic film was produced at the Center for Visual Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, University of Southern California in collaboration with Media Arts + Practice, School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California.
More about Lane Wilcken: lanewilcken.com
poster design by Sean David Christensen
past screenings
Second Sunday Culture Films, Penn Museum
penn.museum
Diwa Filipino Film Showcase of Seattle
diwafilmfest.wordpress.com
CAMRA Screening Scholarship Media Festival
ssmf2021.camrapenn.org
Society for Visual Anthropology Film and Media Festival
svafilmfestival2020.org
SCA/SVA Distribute Virtual Film Festival
distribute.utoronto.ca
UnKonference Short Film Festival
unKonference.org
DisOrient Asian American Film Festival
disorientfilm.org
American Studies Association Annual Meeting
theasa.net
Traditional Tattoo Festival
traditionaltattoofestivalhi.com