We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kareem Tabsch. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kareem below.

Hi Kareem , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

All of the projects I’ve undertaken have been incredibly meaningful to me, but in an odd way its not until you realize how meaningful they are for others that it really hits home how special something is.

My documentary film ‘Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado’ told the story of a dazzling television personality that I grew up watching with my grandparents. Every day for decades, Walter Mercado — the iconic, gender non-conforming astrologer — mesmerized 120 million Latino viewers with his extravagance and positivity. Yet at some point in the early 2000’s he seemingly disappeared. In our film we find him and tell the story of his unlikely, meteoric rise and of his influence.

Alongside my co-director Cristina Costantini and producer Alex Fumero we spent two years with Walter as we made the film. Each moment was an utter joy. He was so full of such love and joy, and was so funny. He died just as we were finishing the film- two months before our Sundance premiere.

While it saddens me that Walter wasn’t physically with us to share in the acclaim for the film and see the overwhelming love folks had for him, what was so special about it all for me was hearing from the countless folks who told me how much the film brought back their childhood and memories of their grandparents and families. In particular, so many folks like me- other young, queer, Latino kids who grew up in immigrant families saw themselves reflected in Walter and found hope in his authentic representation of who he was.

Being able to share someone so special with the world and to bring memories and joy to audiences solidified for me that there isnt anything else in this world Id rather be doing.

Kareem , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As the child of immigrants from Cuba and Lebanon respectively, the expectation was that I’d be a doctor or a lawyer. Much to my parent’s chagrin, I ended up in the arts: curating, showing, and eventually making documentary films. Free-lance writing led to work as a programmer at film festivals and eventually I co-founded a beloved indie movie theater in Miami. I started making movies on the side. What started as a hobby has morphed into a successful career- but it took a long time. I made my first short film at age 34!

My work is definitely an extension of my own interests. I’m always drawn to bold and brazen folks and stories that feel too crazy to be true but are. I realized that if I find this stuff fascinating, others would too. It would just be up to me to find interesting ways to tell these stories on-screen. So my films are just that- stories that fascinate me whether its the tale of the world’s most pampered cat and her doting owners, the man who had a romantic and sexual relationship with a dolphin, or the thriving Jewish retirement community that flourished in what is now the Spring Break central of South Beach or the flamboyant wizard who challenged the notions of gender and sexuality in the ultra-macho world of Latin media and yet managed to become a superstar.

I’m really excited about my current project, Paradise Lost: Crime in Miami is a new podcast im doing for iHeartRadio with my friend Joey Daoud. We’re taking listeners on a journey through some of the craziest stories out of the South Florida headlines and walking them through all that happened while a special guest connected to the case- either a journalist, law enforcement, victim, or even the perpetrator, adds insight and anecdotes of what occurred. It’s an interesting way to explore the city, through the crimes that have happened here. We aim to get a bit behind the sensationalism of it all to scratch at what it says about us. New episodes drop every Wednesday and folks can listen to it on IHeart, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever they listen to their podcasts.

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m most inspired by telling the story of those whose journey and experience has too often been overlooked. The media is not always so reflective of the audience it’s intended for. The United States is a richly diverse place and each of those communities have their own heroes, their own joys, and their own cultures that merit being shared, appreciated and learned from. I really do believe that as different as we all may be, we have more things alike than not. So the more we can take in the experiences of others, the more we can help break the barriers that divide us.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The best thing we can do to ensure there’s a thriving creative ecosystem around us is to support it. The only way that artists can continue to create is if there are audiences patronizing their work. Buy a ticket for that indie film, go check out the new play, visit that new exhibition that just opened up. Spend your time and your money in making sure that artists can keep creating. What’s more, demand that it’s part of the fabric of your communities- no matter how under-resourced they might be. Tell your school boards, your public officials, and the business owners and developers who are in your communities that you expect there to be a place for art and culture in every plan they have. Not only is it good for the soul, study after study has proven that communities with thriving cultural scenes are safer, healthier and have happier residents.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kareemtabsch.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kareemtabsch/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kareemtabsch
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/67VlgCvTLINufywGhgCcoO