Off the Map, On the Edge

Moko: Art of Nature, by Serena Stevenson and George Nuku, is to screen at this year’s Resfest digital film festival in the US. Resfest was established in 1997 as a forum for cinema breaking new technological ground and now recieves 1,500 entries a year. Stevenson’s documentary is entered in National Geographic’s ‘Off the Map’ segment, a series of short stories which aim to promote “geographic literacy.” Moko: Art of Nature chronicles the tattooing ritual of ta moko kanohi, as experienced by one man. “There is almost no contemporary record of this practice,” says Stevenson. “Moko is about understanding your identity and lineage, it’s about making a connection with your ancestors and nature.”