The Man Who Sold His Skin
The Man Who Sold His Skin (Arabic: الرجل الذي باع ظهره, romanized: ar-rajul allaḏī bāʿa ẓahrahu, lit. 'The Man Who Sold His Back') is a 2020 internationally co-produced drama film directed by Kaouther Ben Hania. Its plot was inspired by Belgian contemporary artist Wim Delvoye's living work Tim (2006),[6] which was in turn inspired by Roald Dahl's 1952 short story "Skin".[7] It was selected as the Tunisian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards,[8] making the shortlist of fifteen films.[9] In March 2021, it was nominated for the Best International Feature Film.[10]
The Man Who Sold His Skin | |
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Directed by | Kaouther Ben Hania |
Written by | Kaouther Ben Hania |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Christopher Aoun |
Edited by | Marie-Hélène Dozo |
Music by | Amine Bouhafa |
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Release date |
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Running time | 104 minutes |
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It premiered in the Horizons section at the 77th Venice International Film Festival,[11] where Yahya Mahayni won the Best Actor Award.[12][13]
Plot
Raqqa fiancés Sam and Abeer are separated by the Syrian Civil War. While he seeks refuge in Lebanon, her family forces her to marry a richer man and move with him to Brussels. In the desperate pursuit of money and the needed paperwork to travel to Europe to rescue her, Sam accepts to have his back tattooed as a Schengen visa by one of the most controversial contemporary artists in the West. His own body turned into a living work of art and promptly exhibited in a museum, Sam will soon realize he has sold away more than just his skin.
Cast
- Yahya Mahayni as Sam Ali
- Dea Liane as Abeer
- Koen De Bouw as Jeffrey Godefroi
- Monica Bellucci as Soraya Waldy
- Saad Lostan as Ziad
- Darina Al Joundi as Sam's mother
- Jan Dahdouh as Hazem
- Christian Vadim as William
- Wim Delvoye as insurance broker
Accolades
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
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Academy Awards | 25 April 2021 | Best International Feature Film | Kaouther Ben Hania | Nominated | [10] |
Magritte Awards | 12 February 2022 | Best Foreign Film | Nominated | [14] | |
Stockholm International Film Festival | 19 November 2020 | Bronze Horse | Nominated | [15] | |
Best Screenplay | Won | ||||
Venice International Film Festival | 12 September 2020 | Best Film (Horizons section) | The Man Who Sold His Skin | Nominated | [12] |
Best Actor (Horizons section) | Yahya Mahayni | Won |
See also
References
- Elsa Keslassy (20 November 2020). "'The Man Who Sold His Skin' to Represent Tunisia in International Oscar Race". Variety. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- "L'Homme qui a vendu sa peau". Retrieved 18 December 2022 – via www.cineart.be.
- "Der Mann, der seine Haut verkaufte". eksystent. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- "The man who sold his skin | Folkets Bio". www.folketsbio.se. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- "The Man Who Sold His Skin". Retrieved 18 December 2022.
- Ward, Sarah (6 September 2020). "'The Man Who Sold His Skin': Venice Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- "Een rugtatoeage in ruil voor een visum in The Man Who Sold His Skin". parool. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
- Keslassy, Elsa (20 November 2020). "'The Man Who Sold His Skin' to Represent Tunisia in International Oscar Race". Variety. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- Davis, Clayton (9 February 2021). "Oscars Shortlists Announced in Nine Categories". Variety. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- "The full list of 2021 Oscars nominations". The Guardian. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
- "Kaouther Ben Hania's 'The Man Who Sold His Skin' Scores Sales Following Middle East Premiere". Variety. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 21 November 2020.
- Tartaglione, Nancy (12 September 2020). "'Nomadland' Scoops Golden Lion At Venice Film Festival – Full List Of Winnners". Deadline. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- "Collateral Awards of the 77th Venice Film Festival". labiennale.org. La Biennale di Venezia. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
- "Voici les nommés de la 11e cérémonie des Magritte du Cinéma". Le Soir (in French). 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- "This year's winners!". Stockholms filmfestival. 19 November 2020.