I came across a short He Took His Skin Off For Me recently via a Quora thread where several users had listed it in their ‘must-watch films.’ As gross as the title sounded, it was enough to pique my interest. The visually grabbing poster only heightened my expectations.
He took his skin off for me. Imagine if that were to literally happen. Crazy, unreasonable, unreal, morbid, disgusting, disturbing — might be some of your thoughts, as were mine. The idea seems all of these things, to say the least. And the film is equally disturbing. But this is one hell of a well-made film I’ve seen in a long time.
Adapted from a short story by by award-winning writer Maria Hummer, He Took His Skin Off For Me explores the idea of a relationship through a couple, one of who is ready to go to an unreasonable extent to testify his love. Ready to literally take his skin off. Which here basically alludes to changing yourself for the other.
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Now the film does two things. At its very core, He Took His Skin Off For Me questions the worthiness of changing yourself for your other half in a relationship. And how far can you and should you be willing to change your very being, your very self for the other.
Is the trade off worth it? That is what the film questions or rather answers. In a rather bold and quirky manner, unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Secondly, it literally and masterfully transcreates the idea on screen, making you believe in their world, and does it so effortlessly. It makes you believe these characters actually exist somewhere. Their world is so palpable, so real. That’s the biggest accomplishment of the makers.
I was surprised to find it was actually made by a film student Ben Aston, along with a few others, as his graduation film at the London Film School. It won five awards at festivals and was an official selection at 30+ (you read that right) film festivals.
Without wasting any more time, watch it right here and tell me how you like it:
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