Leading Woman Films Presents
They Call Me The Tattoo Witch
For Your Consideration Best Documentary Short Film 98th Academy Awards
They Call Me Tattoo Witch: A Short Documentary
In Hanoi, Vietnam, tattoo artist Tran Ngoc specializes in the rare and challenging art of tattooing over scars. Despite the social stigma surrounding tattoos in Vietnam, Ngoc empowers her clients, including breast cancer survivors and women with self-harm scars, to reclaim their bodies, demonstrating that her work is a profound act of compassion and resilience.
They Call Me the Tattoo Witch has screened at over 40 international film festivals, including several Oscar-, BAFTA-, and BIFA-qualifying events, and has earned more than a dozen awards. The film continues its festival run through 2025.
Oscar-Qualifying Festival Selections (2025):
Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia
Doc Edge Festival
AmDocs Film Festival
St. Louis International Film Festival
Hawai‘i International Film Festival
Select Awards & Recognition:
Best Short Documentary – Carmarthen Bay Film Festival (BAFTA-Qualifying)
Best Documentary Short – Imagine This Women’s Film Festival
Best Short Documentary, Direction & Cinematography – Sherman Oaks Film Festival
Best Documentary & Best Cinematography – Worldwide Women's Film Festival
Best Impactful Film – Female Filmmakers Festival Berlin
Best of the Fest – Short. Sweet. Film. Fest.
Best Documentary Short – City of Angels Film Festival
More than a dozen awards across the international festival circuit
Inspiration
They Call Me the Tattoo Witch began with an inspiring discovery of Tran Ngoc, a maverick tattoo artist featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list. Moved by Ngoc’s profound impact on her clients, director Lindsay Nyman reached out to share this story, collaborating with an all-female crew from Hanoi who brought unique perspectives to capture the film’s cultural depth. This short documentary celebrates the strength and resilience of women both in front of and behind the camera.
Leading Woman Films
A woman-led, ethical production company that sheds light on stories that reveal our shared humanity and interconnectedness. Through documentary filmmaking, Leading Woman Films challenges prevailing narratives and inspires social change by sharing the beauty, strength, and resilience of people and cultures across the globe.
Lindsay Nyman: Director and Producer
Lindsay Nyman is an award-winning filmmaker based between Berlin and Los Angeles, with a focus on global stories of resilience, identity, and women’s empowerment. A graduate of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, she began her career as a stage actor before transitioning to writing and directing film. She is the founder of Film By The Blind, an initiative supporting filmmakers who are blind, and has led social impact storytelling projects in Los Angeles and Southeast Asia.
Her debut short documentary, They Call Me The Tattoo Witch, was filmed in Hanoi, Vietnam with an all-female local crew. The film is currently screening at film festivals worldwide, including several Oscar-qualifying events, and has received over a dozen international awards. Lindsay secured a grant from the Fort Worth Film Commission to support its Oscar-qualifying theatrical run in Texas. She is currently completing a documentary on peace leadership and developing future collaborations that elevate women’s voices and socially driven storytelling.
Lindsay Nyman
Founder of Leading Woman Films