“The man who sold his back” opens the “Cinemed” festival

Tunisian director Kawthar Ben Hania (1977) describes the violent encounter between the world of refugees and contemporary art, in her new film, The man who sold his back, which was screened on Friday night at the opening of the International Festival of Mediterranean Cinema of Montpellier (Cinemed) in the south of France.

The “The Man Who Sold His Back” shows will open in theaters on December 16. In this film, Ben Hania departs from Tunisia to address these two subjects that interest him and awaken his passion.
It tells the story of “Sam Ali” (played by actor Yahya Mahaini), who “was not born in the right part of the world.” It is about a young Syrian who, after being arbitrarily detained, was forced to flee his country, Syria, mired in war, and to leave the girl he loves there to seek refuge in Lebanon.
In order to travel to Belgium to live with his beloved, the hero makes a deal with a famous artist, according to which he accepts his tattoo on his back and presents it as a painting to the public, then it is sold at auction, which makes him lose spirit and freedom.
Ben Hania was inspired for his film by the work of contemporary Belgian artist Wim Delphoy, who made a tattoo on a man’s back and offered the work for sale. She said in an interview with “Agence France Presse” that “goods can move freely in the world, but not individuals”, even when they are subject to the worst forms of persecution.