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Interview with director Kaouther BenHania

April 13, 20226:00 p.m.
ONLINE
Casa Árabe’s YouTube channel. 6:00 p.m.
In French, with Spanish subtitles.

Casa Árabe had the opportunity to chat with director Kaouther Ben Hania on the occasion of the premiere of her film “The Man Who Sold His Skin” in Spain. You can watch the event on Wednesday, April 13 on our YouTube channel.

The Man Who Sold His Skin was presented in the Orizzonti Section of the 77th Venice Film Festival. After being screened at Seville’s European Film Festival, it became one of the most highly-acclaimed independent films of the year when it was nominated for the Oscars in the category of Best Foreign Film.

Plot summary
Sam Ali, a sensitive and impulsive young Syrian, leaves his country to escape the war by crossing the Lebanese border. In order to travel to Europe and live with the love of his life, he agrees to have his back tattooed by one of the world’s best-known contemporary artists. After turning his body into a prestigious work of art, Sam gradually realizes that his decision will ending up leading to the opposite of what he originally sought out: freedom.

Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania began her film studies in Tunis and later transferred to Paris-Femis and the Sorbonne. “Imams Go to School,” her first documentary, premiered at IDFA 2010. “Challat of Tunis,” her first feature film, opened the ACID Section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was widely distributed. Her second documentary, “Zaineb Hates the Snow,” premiered at the 2016 edition of the Locarno Film Festival, where it won several awards. She has
also directed several short-subject films, including “Wooden Hand” (2013) and “Sheikh’s Watermelons” (2018), which had a long and successful run on the international festival circuit. “The Man Who Sold His Skin” is her latest feature film.