Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Man Who Sold His Skin raises serious objections against the exploitations of refugees not only in Syria but all over the world. The film also shows and mocks the bizarre form of art wherein a human body is tattooed for exhibition. It exposes the meanness of the artist, no matter even if he is world-famous, who dares to present a human as a commodity. Kaouther Ben Hania has woven a heart-touching love story amidst the political, economic, and social turmoil in Syria. Love can blossom even at the most trying time. The Man Who Sold His Skin strongly advocates for the rights and dignity of the refugees.
Sam Ali (Yahya Mahayni) and Abeer (Dea Liane) are lovers in war-ravaged Syria. Sam proposes Abeer for a marriage on a moving train and they start dancing in front of the passengers. However, he utters revolution and freedom before dancing, which is filmed on a mobile phone by a co-passenger. The police capture him, and he is compelled to leave Syria for Lebanon. Against her will, Abeer’s wealthy parents marry her off to a Syrian foreign affairs diplomat Ziad who is posted in Brussels, Belgium. Abeer starts residing there with her husband.
Sam Ali visits an art exhibition in Beirut where a world-famous Belgian artist named Jeffrey Godefroi (Koen De Bouw) offers him the Belgian visa in exchange for creating a tattoo on his back. Sam desperately wants to visit Brussels to meet his girlfriend Abeer. So, he agreed to the tattoo on his back. The artist’s manager Soraya (Monica Bellucci) takes him to Brussels where he finally meets Abeer. As per the contract, his back is shown in a museum and he slowly realizes that he has been transformed into nothing but a mere commodity. Human rights activists meet him and request him to refrain from the exhibition. Abeer visits a museum with her husband Ziad and coincidentally visits the block where Sam’s back is being exhibited. They come to know about the real incident and Ziad engages in a scuffle with Sam. Ziad breaks a very expensive painting during the scuffle and gets arrested.
In an auction, Sam’s back is sold for five million dollars. However, during the event, Sam feels humiliated and scares the attendees with an earphone cable, and subsequently gets arrested. Abeer breaks up with her husband and finds a lawyer for Sam’s release. The charge against Sam is dismissed and he is released from prison. As his visa got expired, Sam leaves Brussels for Syria with Abeer. Before leaving, Jeffrey collects his body cells and produces a duplicate copy of his back in a lab. A rumor is deliberately spread that Sam has been assassinated by ISIS. He is alright in Syria and about to remove his tattoo through laser surgery. Now, he is a free man. The skin of his back is restored and put up on the wall of a museum.
The refugee crisis is a curse of the modern world. Many countries have been suffering from this problem. Terrorism, civil war, dictatorship, military aggression are some of the reasons behind it. In maximum cases, refugees are treated badly and exploited. Many a time, they live under hazardous conditions and without any country’s support. The sufferings of these uprooted people are enormous. The situations are so horrible that passing a single day is a big challenge. Many of them die while crossing the Mediterranean Sea or the English Channel. The entire world should address this issue at the highest level of priority. Kaouther Ben Hania shares a glimpse of these miseries through her film The Man Who Sold His Skin.
The duty and responsibility of an artist are to sympathize with the sufferings of ordinary people and not to exploit them. They should stand in solidarity with the distressed and helpless people. In this film, a world-renowned artist does not refrain from using a living human merely as a commodity. The principle of art is never such mean. This artist is merely an example. The refugees are exploited by the rich and powerful across countries. It must stop right now. The Man Who Sold His Skin is also a heart-wrenching love story. It shows that love can blossom even at the extreme end. It can exist at the toughest time. Irrespective of the societal differences, a couple can be madly in love with each other. It is so intense, that a man can even sell his back to get back his girlfriend. Love is limitless and boundless. A lover can sacrifice life for love.
Kaouther Ben Hania has made a very strong film with one of the most burning issues of the modern world. Amidst the refugee crisis, and the social, political, and economic turmoil of Syria, Ben Hania has also woven a heart-touching love story. The cinematography, lighting, and production design are magnificent, colorful, and vibrant. Amine Bouhafa’s music is a blend of classical and contemporary electronic scores, which is soulful and at the same time haunting. Yahya Mahayni is so brilliant in the film that he does not seem to be a newcomer. He won the best actor award in the Horizons category at the 77th Venice International Film Festival. Dea Liane looks very beautiful and played a very sensitive role. Koen De Bouw and Monica Bellucci played their roles, which are mostly negative and exploitative, really well. The Man Who Sold His Skin was nominated for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.