‘120 FILM’

120 Film is a documentary portrait series shot on medium-format film, centered on individuals with facial tattoos. From devoted practitioners of tattoo culture to gang members and individuals living on the margins, each subject carries their story directly on their skin. Framed tightly and without artifice, these portraits focus on presence rather than narrative. The face — permanently marked — becomes an archive of personal choices, affiliations, and lived experience. There is no spectacle, no judgment, only confrontation.

Through intimacy and proximity, 120 Film challenges the viewer to look beyond fear, stigma, and myth, and to recognize the humanity behind faces society often refuses to see.

This series is produced without a studio setup or artificial lighting. Each portrait is made on location, using only available natural light, preserving the environment in which the subject exists. The constraint of a single roll of medium-format film per individual imposes a deliberate economy: ten frames to establish trust, to observe, and to commit. This limitation reinforces the authenticity of the encounter, where every exposure is intentional and irreversible.