Conventions · 2024

Belfast Tattoo Convention: Inside the Most Bombed Hotel in the World

In 1971 the Hotel Europa opened in Belfast. Over the next three decades it was bombed more than thirty times during The Troubles, yet it never closed. Today it hosts the Belfast Tattoo Convention. I followed the convention through the Europa's halls, where tattoo artists from across Europe gather to work, share stories, and celebrate their craft, alongside Christopher Crooks, one of Northern Ireland's most respected tattooers. Between the machines and the music, the film reaches into Belfast's own history of conflict and resilience, told through the city and the people who call it home. The landscape, the politics, and the art are all part of the same story.

Filmed by Dakota Weik and Michael Corman. Written, produced, and edited by Dakota Weik. Host: Donal Cranny.