From New York to Tunis, laughter without borders by Imen Lahmar

Its eighty meter intimidates you? “I am French and like all French people, I don’t really like what is sensational. When people ask me how tall I am and I answer “1.80m”, they tell me “You tell it to yourself”. Since then, I am at 1 meter 79, it goes much better”, she jokes in front of her audience.

A 40-year-old Franco-Tunisian, Imen Lahmar willingly draws inspiration from her supposed complexes and “everyday indelicacies”, as she describes them, to make others laugh. “For my mother, it’s completely incompatible to be tall, an artist, 40 years old and to be able to find a husband. According to her, I am not accomplished. But that’s exactly what I’m going to play on.” she explains.

Imen Lahmar knew how to create different alter egos around her humor, a mixture of cynicism and self-mockery: Meniways on stage or Meni Gilliger, a “personal destruction coach” which she embodied on Instagram, in particular during the Covid-19 pandemic, to amuse her approximately 23,000 subscribers. This character of counselor without morals gives tricks to destroy a convivial dinner between friends or undermine a romantic relationship.

Chameleon, Imen Lahmar draws her valves in French, in English, sometimes in Tunisian dialect and even claims, in her Instagram bio, to be able to speak in Urdu if she wishes. In New York, where she made her debut on the stage, she makes fun of the Parisians, who are so cynical compared to the extreme – even superficial – friendliness of the Americans; in Tunis, hairdressers whose judgments are a little too intrusive; and in Paris, of his friends “Whites” who ask her for Eid cakes because she is Tunisian.

She herself says she has no taboos, regardless of the culture in which she evolves. “I’m Muslim but don’t worry, I also take ecstasy, I’m one of the coolest! »she launches in one of her New York shows.

“I was afraid of disappointing my loved ones”

Raised between the family flag of Val-de-Marne and holidays on the Tunisian coast, she cultivates her binationality and her attachment to Tunisia, but is rarely inspired by the theme of immigration for her sketches. A way to stand out from some of its elders. “I feel completely French when I’m in France and Tunisian in Tunisia, so even if it was a very good period of humor with Gad Elmaleh or Jamel Debbouze around this generation from immigration, today it’s it is also good to go towards something else »she explains.

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