The Man Who Sold His Skin
Tunisian drama about a Syrian refugee who is given the opportunity by a famous artist to travel to Europe, but in return is forced to exhibit himself as a living work of art.
Sam Ali, a young sensitive and impulsive Syrian, fled to Lebanon to escape the Syrian war. Without legal status, he is unable to get a visa to go to Europe where his beloved Abeer lives. While living off opening cocktails in art galleries in Beirut, he meets Jeffrey Godefroi, one of the world’s best known contemporary artists, with whom he concludes a strange deal that will forever change his life. The artist suggests to turn Sam Ali into his artwork by tattooing a Schengen visa on his back. Obsessed by the opportunity to see his love, Sam Ali agrees and passes from the status of a vulgar ‘undocumented refugee’ to a prestigious piece of art. Sam will however come to realize that his decision might actually mean anything but freedom.
With her film, Kaouther Ben Hania raises big ethical questions about freedom and exploitation, but she keeps the tone of the film surprisingly light and satirical. The film made history by becoming the first Tunisian film ever to be nominated for an Oscar.