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The Man Who Sold His Skin uses the tension between art and commerce as powerful fuel for a sobering story about freedom and human dignity. Read critic reviews

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The Man Who Sold His Skin Photos

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Movie Info

Sam Ali, a young sensitive and impulsive Syrian, left his country for Lebanon to escape the war. To be able to travel to Europe and live with the love of his life, he accepts to have his back tattooed by one of by the World's most sulfurous contemporary artist. Turning his own body into a prestigious piece of art, Sam will however come to realize that his decision might actually mean anything but freedom.
  • Genre:
    drama
  • Original Language:
    Arabic
  • Director:
    Kaouther Ben Hania
  • Producer:
    Thanassis Karathanos, Annabella Nezri, Andreas Rocksén, Martin Hampel
  • Writer:
    Kaouther Ben Hania
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Runtime:
  • Production Co:
    Tanit Films, Sunnyland Film, ZDF/Arte, Istiqlal Films, Bac Films, Ministère des Affaires Culturelles, SACEM, Belga Film Fund, Fonds Images de la Francophonie, Kwassa Films, Laika Film & Television AB, Twenty Twenty Vision Filmproduktion, Eurimages, Swedish Film Institute, Cinétéléfilms, Metafora Production, Centre National du Cinéma et de L'image Animée, BE TV, Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Film i Väst, Tax Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral Belge, VOO, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg

Cast & Crew

Yahya Mahayni
Sam Ali
Monica Bellucci
Soraya Waldy
Koen De Bouw
Jeffrey Godefroi
Marc De Panda
Marc Sheen
Saad Lostan
Rupert Wynne-James
Martin Commisaire d'exposition
Husam Chadat
Adel Saadi
Najoua Zouhair
Dea Liane
Abeer
Kaouther Ben Hania
Director
Kaouther Ben Hania
Screenwriter
Thanassis Karathanos
Producer
Annabella Nezri
Producer
Andreas Rocksén
Producer
Martin Hampel
Producer
Habib Attia
Executive Producer
Nadim Cheikhrouha
Executive Producer
Christopher Aoun
Cinematographer
Amin Bouhafa
Original Music
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Critic Reviews for The Man Who Sold His Skin

All Critics (27) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (26) | Rotten (1)

  • "The Man Who Sold His Skin" stretches itself so thin that you can almost see its veins struggling to circulate the blood Ben Hania needs to bring her story home.

    April 9, 2021 | Rating: C | Full Review…

    David Ehrlich

    indieWire

  • They cry for him as both a victim and villain: but Ali is neither, for he made his choice. Yet that doesn't mean there's no room for regret and disdain, which The Man Who Sold His Skin skillfully explores.

    April 9, 2021 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    Jenny Nulf

    Austin Chronicle

  • That "The Man Who Sold His Skin" is still watchable is because the premise is still inherently thought-provoking, and Ben Hania's shot composition and cinematographer Christopher Aoun's images have a confident painterliness.

    April 8, 2021 | Full Review…

    Robert Abele

    Los Angeles Times

  • "The Man Who Sold His Skin" may not be entirely believable, but its many great metaphors for multiple social ills create their own, withering truth.

    April 8, 2021 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…

    Bob Strauss

    San Francisco Chronicle

  • At times, "The Man Who Sold His Skin" plays like a cultural parody, but its aim is dead serious, and more sobering.

    April 7, 2021 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

    Michael O'Sullivan

    Washington Post

  • While it hardly breaks new ground, The Man Who Sold His Skin still manages to be a breezy watch, with an assured filmmaker gently steering it through a rough-around-the-edges tale.

    April 2, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

    Tomris Laffly

    RogerEbert.com
View All Critic Reviews (27)

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