Ink of Yam (2017)

A bomb hits. The windows vibrate, but just a few minutes later the needle starts to whiz again. In Tel Aviv, the city in the middle of endless military conflict, Poko Chaim and Daniel Bulitchev, two Russian tattooists, created a place without walls. Here they perpetuate the stories of the people of Jerusalem; the ink under their skin is what connects them all. And by looking at different tattoos one can see the heart of the Holy City – its citizens – in a completely new light. 

The studio is open to everyone, regardless of nationality, religion, or skin color. Conversations that happen during the painful procedure often come close to confessions. They help the customers open their souls and honestly speak about their life in this controversial city, their beliefs, and their fears. These are the moments that make Poko and Daniel psychologists and artists at once. In order to escape the constant noise of the needle, the tattooists take the film crew to their special places: to the shore of Tel Aviv and then – on their Harleys – to the mountains near Jerusalem.