We all have heard thousands of love stories around the world but this incredible short story is an excellent vision of what the physical manifestation of true vulnerability could look like. To say the film is visually powerful is an understatement. The power of the short lies in its simplicity: it doesn’t comment heavily on what things mean… that’s for the audience to figure out.
The story was created by award-winning writer Maria Hummer and directed by Ben Aston a London born filmmaker, in the year 2014, it goes viral when released online and brilliantly contributes to expanding cinema’s boundaries. This simple love story is about a man who took off his skin to please her girlfriend. Isn’t it strange? Why the idea wasn’t the best? She is happy that he sacrificed his skin to make her please, even it has some downsides/the change has brought unhappiness in his life and soon she realize its taking toll on our relationship. Let’s have a look..
The story is narrated by the girlfriend: Do you want to see me like this? He asked, and I said yes. How beautiful he looks in crisp bones and shiny red organs. I embraced him when I saw his naked wet muscles.
Just before the dinner, it happened. He waited for me at the table, with beautiful red skin; waiting for fresh cut of lamb I bought to try new recipe. I can see his smily face, carried our plates to get start, poured wine and watched his tendons twitch during fork and knife movement. He holded my hand and gave me smile. Each bite taken by him was a delicate rumble through hands and jaw. I waited for him to leave seat and wiped his blood before he notice what he left behind.
A new wardrobe of his skin was addition to his closet. He hung his skin next to suits and jackets. Through the slit of my eyes, sometimes in the morning, I saw him touching his skin on closet, wondering if he could wear that again. His thinking process stops when he realize the fact and soon removed a shirt to wear. People started commenting, scratching their chin, on his appearance but in an indirect way.
My duties got doubled, she said. Washing of bed sheets become more frequent. The blankets absorbed his body smell daily and releases 24 hours. More frequently I had to change blankets. The floor gets red and demands cleaning. At night he holds me under his arms and every morning I stink like fresh flesh. I found no difference in our lovemaking and it was same as before.
Soon as he went to work, I would check his skin inside the closet, to make sure he wasn’t hiding it away. Once he arrived disturbed from office, told me he is facing problems with his clients. I told him they were not the good one. The right one never cares and treat people in good way. He said, “We’d run out of money if we only waited for good people”. I told him that’s fine with me.
We stopped hanging out at restaurants, bars and fun places. Savings were being used to heat the house. He started feeling good to stay at home most of the time. He walked around here and there, carrying a cup of hot tea, showing he is so chill. Suddenly all his tea spilled over his leg, omg that moment was unimaginable. Tears started falling out of his eyes and he couldn’t hide from me.
One night when we were on bed, I saw him looking at me constantly. I sat up and turned on the light to ask him what happened? But he remained quite, however I was expecting him to say ‘nothing’. Ya that’s his usual answer whenever, I asked this question. He liked to keep his feelings private. I checked his pulse on side neck, looked at his wrists, everything was pulsing fast.
He looked at me with his vein-netted eyes which were badly wet that moment. He started cuddling me with his hot fingertips and tugged my skin. That moment I felt, being in love is just like a candle; you have to burn yourself to show your partner the light. Yes, he is the perfect example of being a candle for me. The little changes were first manageable by us but later our relationship got strained. The fact that there’s no way to undo this sacrifice, makes my skin crawled.
This short film below teaches us a lesson to make sacrifice for our loved ones. I will not say that this is the only way to prove your love but setting such an example is by far the truest type of love. Please SHARE this story with your family and friends and let them know how love is conquering the world.
