In Renaissance Italy, Bianca, a young lady from a good family, is of
marriage age. Her parents find her a fiancé to their liking: Giovanni, a
rich merchant, young and pleasant. The wedding looks set to go smoothly even
though Bianca can't hide her disappointment at having to marry a man she knows
nothing about.

But before the marriage, she learns the secret held and
bequeathed by the women of her family for generations: a "man's skin"! By
donning it, Bianca becomes "Lorenzo" and enjoys all the attributes of a young
man of stunning beauty. She can now visit the world of men incognito and get to
know her fiancé in his natural environment. In her male skin, Bianca
frees herself from the limits imposed on women and discovers love and
sexuality.

The moral of the Renaissance then acts as a mirror to that of
our century and poses several questions: why should women have a different
sexuality from that of men? Why should their pleasure and freedom be the object
of contempt and coercion? Finally, how can morality be the instrument of both
severe and unconscious domination?

Tackling universal themes such as
gender, sexuality, LGBTQ+, compassion, religion, and morality through a
captivating and subtle fable, Hubert and Zanzim brilliantly question our
relationship to gender and sexuality... but not only that. By mixing religion
and sex, morality and humor, nobility and outspokenness, A Man's Skin
invites us both to the liberation of morals and to the mad and noble quest for
love.

This edition includes a lesson plan and discussion guide.


Translated by Ivanka Hahnenberger.

Visual artist(s): Zanzim