VHS Kaloucha

Moncef Kaloucha, a father and house painter from Sousse, turned his passion for genre cinema into a second profession: using VHS, he films wild and unrestrained fiction inspired by the most well-known superheroes. This leads to films such as Tarzan des Arabes or even Frankenstein Kalouchein. This incredibly prolific auteur-dabbler directs, produces and acts in his films, with the enthusiastic help of the inhabitants of his neighbourhood. Scenes of high-speed pursuit through the large market, which are as improbable as they are fantastic, follow sequences of rescue at sea. Screenings of his films are real events in his city as well as abroad, where these VHS tapes soften the reality of Tunisian immigrants, by letting them laugh a little while reminding themselves of their country. A true master of low-budget inventiveness, Kaloucha deserves to be labelled the Tunisian Tarantino for his energy and creative spirit. VHS Kaloucha draws a portrait of a unique personality and demonstrates cinema’s strengths in overcoming political and economic obstacles.

Jasmin Basic