Ichi: Marks in Time

Synopsis

In 1911, anthropologist Northcote Thomas made a study of the Igbo-speaking people of Nigeria. 110 years later, the return of Thomas’s photographs of men with facial scarification marks called ‘ichi’ inspired a cultural revival among the custodians of this controversial art form. In this creative documentary, made collaboratively with the community, the descendants of those photographed tell the story of their ancestors’ migrations and their profession as traditional ‘tattooers’.