The Man Who Sold His Skin

The Man Who Sold His Skin is a 2020 satirical drama written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, co-produced by France, Tunisia and Germany, blending drama with dark comedy. Its plot draws on Tim (2006), the living artwork by Belgian contemporary artist Wim Delvoye, itself inspired by Roald Dahl's 1952 short story "Skin." The film follows Sam Ali, a Syrian refugee who flees the civil war to Lebanon; to reunite with his fiancée Abeer and reach Europe, he agrees to have a Schengen visa tattooed on his back, turning his body into an exhibited living artwork.

Starring Yahya Mahayni, Dea Liane, Koen De Bouw and Monica Bellucci, the film premiered in the Horizons section of the 77th Venice International Film Festival, where Mahayni won the Best Actor award. Selected as Tunisia's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, it received the Oscar nomination in March 2021, becoming the first Tunisian film to compete in that category.