Synopsis
To be able to travel to Europe and find the love of his life, Sam Ali, a Syrian refugee, accepts to have his back tattooed by one of the most sulfurous contemporary artist; becoming that way a precious work of art.
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Cast
- Yahya MahayniSam Ali
- Dea LianeAbeer
- Koen De BouwJeffrey Godefroi
- Monica BellucciSoraya Waldy
- Saad LostanZiad
- Darina Al JoundiSam’s mother
- Jan DahdouhHazem
- Christian VadimWilliam
- Marc de PandaMarc Sheen
- Najoua ZouhairSam’s sister
Recommendations
- 88
Movie Nation
When it’s all over, the viewer gets to wrestle with everything everyone here does — the plight of Syria, the nature of art, “exploitation” and the nature of “freedom.” Not bad for the first Tunisian film much of the world will have ever had the chance to see. - 80
Screen Daily
It’s the central performance by feature first-timer Mahayni that best demonstrates the picture’s overall charms. - 80
Variety
An audacious but not always palatable mix of drama, tragedy, romance, satire and dark humor. - 75
Washington Post
At times, The Man Who Sold His Skin plays like a cultural parody, but its aim is dead serious, and more sobering. The pathos and tragedy of the global refugee crisis is its target, not the pretensions of the international art market, and it, from time to time, delivers a sting. - 70
The Hollywood Reporter
Though the final product isn’t quite a home run, it is nonetheless a very intriguing work that again suggests Ben Hania is a talent to watch. - 67
Austin Chronicle
Tunisia’s first Oscar-nominated film, The Man Who Sold His Skin, is an emulsion of ideas, each as ambitiously thought-provoking as the next. - 63
Slant Magazine
Art, commerce, and immigration are inextricably bound in Kaouther Ben Hania’s playful and gently moving, if uneven, film. - 63
RogerEbert.com
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.
