After the first in the film The man who sold his skin – The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020) of Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, in the Horizons section of the 77th edition of the Venice International Film Festivalwhich is held from September 2 to 12, 2020, the management of El Gouna’s Film Festival (GFF) has just announced that his first screening in the Middle East and North Africa will take place during the fourth edition of the Festival to be held from October 23 to 31, 2020. He will compete in the competition feature films.
Two years ago, during the second edition of the El Gouna Film Festival, director Kaouther Ben Hania had also participated with her development project at the Cinegouna Platform (which is a project development laboratory and co -production allowing Arabic directors and producers with development projects or postproduction films to find creative and financial support) and won a prize for $ 10,000 offered by B-Link Productions.
Festival director, Intishal Al Timimi said: “The selection of The man who sold his skin To have its world premiere in an important festival like Venice, represents a success both for the film and for the El Gouna film festival. This success is what defines our main mission to the GFF, and fills us with pride while we aim to empower and support Arab filmmakers. In addition, this participation is a testimony to the great influence of the El Gouna festival and the important role played by the Cinegouna Platform in the service of the Arab film industry. I congratulate Kaouther for this exceptional cinematographic work that I can’t wait to welcome festival fiction feature films to the competition next October. »»
During the three editions of the El Gouna Festival, several projects subject to the Cinegouna Platform distinguished themselves at the regional and international level, winning praise and prizes in prestigious international film festivals.
In 2017 for example, it was Tunisian director Hinde Boujema who won this same Cinegouna Platform, $ 5,000, offered by Aroma Studios for her project Noura Dream. In 2019, the film had made its first Middle East and North Africa at the El Gouna festival, where he had won The price of the best actress for Hend Sabry.
The same year, Egyptian director Abu Bakr Shawky also won on this same platform, 5,000 dollars offered by Aroma Studios for his film project Yomeddine. The film had subsequently had a very good career. He had notably been in official competition at the 71st edition of the Cannes Film Festival in May 2018 where he won the François Chalais Prize and at El Gouna International Film Festival where he had won the public prize. Yomeddine had also been chosen to represent Egypt at the preselection of theOscar for the best film in a foreign language.
The man who sold his skin is written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania. He features the young actor Yahya Mahayni and the French Déa Liane and marks the first participation in the Arab cinema of the international star Monica Bellucci.
Described by her director as an allegory of personal freedom in an unequal system, the film follows Sam Ali, a sensitive and impulsive young Syrian, who left his country for Lebanon to escape war, with the hope of being able to travel to Europe and live with the love of her life. To realize this dream, he accepts that one of the most famous contemporary artists the tattoo on the back. When his body turns into a prestigious work of art, Sam Ali realizes that his decision could in fact mean something other than freedom.
Neïla Driss
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