Guimba the Tyrant (1995)

In the city of Sitkali, which seems to exist almost outside of time, the chief Guimba lords over his subjects with a potent mix of sorcery and good old fashioned violent repression. Tagging along with him is his dwarf son Janguine, whose one true love in life is big beautiful women. Though he is betrothed to the local belle Kani, he instead wants to marry her mother Meya. Father and son agree to swap wives and kick Kani's father/Meya's wife out of town when he refuses to go along with their scheme along with the rest of the city's male population. But Kani, fed up with her life of being dictated by horny men with power complexes launches a rebellion against Guimba and his pint-sized son. Through turns absurd, bawdy, colorful, and fantastical, Guimba the Tyrant is a thoroughly entertaining film. It is full of life, music, energy, and filmed in glorious eye-popping colors. Director Sissoko did an amazing job of conjuring up this African fantasy-land and its rowdy inhabitants. In one scene, as the rebels nearly catch up with Guimba, he tosses out some magical energy ball that invokes a hellfire eclipse replete with lightning! But underneath the rambunctious antics, Sissoko imbued his film with acidic political satire. Ultimately, though, Guimba the Tyrant is a timeless fable about the follies of power, and an entertaining and bizarre work of cinematic art.