A Summer in La Goulette (DVD)

A Summer in La Goulette is “an enchanting, insanely erotic comedy” (Eye Weekly) shot on the sun-dappled seaside of Tunisia by director Férid Boughedir (Halfouine).

Three teenage girlfriends live in an apartment complex near Goulette beach in 1967, and during the summer they make a pact to lose their virginity. Meriem (Sonia Mankai) attracts the eye of her family’s aging landlord, while a persistent group of nervous teen boys flirt their way into the girls’ arms. When news of their increasingly bold behavior reaches their respective families (one is Jewish, another Muslim, and the third Catholic), fingers are pointed in every direction for their socially and religiously embarrassing activities.

A Summer in La Goulette is a coming-of-age tale based on Boughedir’s own childhood memories, a “quietly affecting” (Time Out Film Guide) tale of sexual awakening and multi-cultural misunderstanding. Shot in the warm amber glows of nostalgia, it beautifully captures the end of innocence.