Director’s Statement

My first documentary was for wrestlers. This one is for their moms.

I started nonfiction filmmaking with PINNED, a David vs. Goliath story set in the brutal world of high school wrestling. I’m originally from Cleveland so I have a soft spot for underdogs, and I was drawn to the strong individual stories of the wrestlers, coaches, and parents who endure so much for a shot at greatness. Making that film showed me how powerful individual stories can be in starting discussions that impact a community in a positive way.

It also taught me that it helps to have your film’s subject wrestle a bear on national television.

One of the fun things about being a filmmaker is never knowing where your stories will come from. I’d never heard of mastectomy tattoos until I came across the subject by chance in an article. The art was striking, but it wasn’t until discussing them with breast cancer survivors that I realized how impactful they are—and how often women are simply left with shockingly awful results.

Their experiences reminded me of my grandmother, who I lost to breast cancer. Her doctors failed her because they didn’t listen to her. Patient voices are a critical part of comprehensive care, and when I realized how unaware women and doctors were of this option, I knew this story could do good.

So I told it.

I’m fascinated by the profound impact art can have on people. I like to look at old things in new ways. I also love the faces people make when I tell them that my movie’s about nipple tattoos… and the way they immediately want to share the project when I tell them why.

I currently live in Los Angeles where filmmaking is my day job (and my night job). I spent the past few years editing and producing a pretty macho docuseries about the world’s most badass muscle car so that I could afford to spend nights and weekends creating an art film where women reclaim & redefine their feminine identity with mastectomy tattoos. Life is full of funny trade-offs like that. I hope you find this one meaningful.

-Patrick Norman