NZ film The Tattooist will hit screens around the country on August 30. Shot in Auckland and Singapore last year, the supernatural thriller stars Jason Behr (The Grudge) as a tattoo artist who unwittingly unleashes a deadly spirit, then faces a life-or-death battle to stop its evil killing spree.

The film also stars Mia Blake (No. 2), and is the debut feature from director Peter Burger. NZ film The Tattooist will hit screens around the country on August 30. Shot in Auckland and Singapore last year, the supernatural thriller stars Jason Behr (The Grudge) as a tattoo artist who unwittingly unleashes a deadly spirit, then faces a life-or-death battle to stop its evil killing spree.

The film also stars Mia Blake (No. 2), and is the debut feature from director Peter Burger.In the film, American tattoo artist Jake Sawyer (Jason Behr) wanders the world, exploring and exploiting ethnic themes in his tattoo designs. At a tattoo expo in Singapore, he gets his first glimpse at the exotic world of traditional Samoan tattoo (tatau), and, in a thoughtless act, unwittingly unleashes a powerful angry spirit. In his devastating journey into Pacific mysticism, Jake must find a way to save his new love, Sina (Mia Blake) and recover his own soul.

Filmed in 2006 on locations in Auckland Central, South Auckland and Singapore and studios in Waitakere City, The Tattooist builds on director Peter Burger's strong career to date in commercials, short film (Fishskin Suit, Turangawaewae) and television drama (Mataku, The Strip, Rude Awakenings).

"The Tattooist is a unique merging of Eastern, Western and Pacific attitudes towards the supernatural," says producer Robin Scholes (Once Were Warriors). "It's the story of an outsider, an American tattoo artist who unwittingly unleashes an angry Samoan ghost. Everyone he tattoos becomes taken over by this spirit. Unfortunately, he also tattoos the woman he is falling in love with, and the film takes the audience on a mysterious, scary and thrilling journey into the supernatural world."

The Tattooist also stars David Fane (Sione's Wedding), Robbie Magasiva (Sione's Wedding), Caroline Cheong (Light Years), Nathaniel Lees (No 2) and Michael Hurst (Fracture).

The film was written by Matthew Grainger and Jonathan King, based on an idea by Vela Manusaute.

The creative team includes veteran director of photography Leon Narbey (Whale Rider, No 2), production designer Gary Mackay (The Locals, Savage Honeymoon), costume designer Gavin McLean (The Maori Merchant of Venice), editor Paul Maxwell (Sione's Wedding, Rain), and composer Peter Scholes (Once Were Warriors, Memory & Desire, Desperate Remedies).

28/5/07