The Tharu are a semi-nomadic agricultural tribe that settled across the India-Nepal border. Older generations of women in the tribe are covered in stick-and-poke style tattoos made by using a mix of dye, turmeric, mustard oil and cow dung which, when packed on the skin, makes the tattoo darker and more permanent.

“Some Tharu believe that the only thing you can take to the afterlife is your tattoos,” says director and cinematographer Robert Mentov. “The practice of tattooing among the Tharu is dwindling due to a need for assimilation into mainstream culture.”

There have been many stories told about the origins of the practice. One tale states that the tattoos were used for beautification, while others say that women used them to make themselves unattractive to royal officials who would steal young girls as sex slaves. 

“In the past, women without tattoos were seen as unfit to marry or take care of the household,” continues the director who, in his film, explores the tension between traditionalism and modernity through the perspective of several Tharu women. “But today, women and girls need to be able to go to school and work freely without the stigma of visible tattoos.”