The lives of six Canadian bodybuilders are at the heart of veteran filmmaker Denis Côté’s observational documentary feature. A Skin So Soft, translated from a French phrase meaning “a skin so smooth,” explores the various personal and professional lives of a collective of men as each awaits his next competition in the glorified, some may say glamorous, world of bodybuilding.
Exploring the duality between physical extremes and the humanity beneath it, Côté offers an earnest eye in showcasing each of the film’s subjects, varying in age and weight, as they perform aspects of traditional masculinity and femininity with ease. Whether applying bronzer and oils to make skin glisten or spending time with family, each man stands as a vision of his own making—while simultaneously navigating their paths in a very unique world of muscle men.
Director Biography
Denis Coté is a revered filmmaker based in Quebec. He was born in November, 1973 in Canada. He started making films short films in the 90s and his feature-film debut came with Drifting States (’05), a film that earned him Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival.
Press
"Smooth, bulging, oiled, tatted, exposed: Denis Côté’s humane fascination with six bodybuilders tosses aside grandstanding and focuses on the odd duality of man and muscle." - Variety
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