Film Countries Archives: Dominican Republic

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A hippo peers menacingly through the reeds.

Pepe

  Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias

  Dominican Republic, Namibia, Germany, France     122 minutes

Synopsis

Transplanted from his African homeland to drug lord Pablo Escobar’s infamous Colombian compound, Pepe the hippo reflects on his tumultuous life in this bold, inventive cinematic essay. When Escobar abandons his plan for a private zoo, Pepe escapes to a nearby river, where his hulking presence unsettles the nearby fishing communities. The first and last hippopotamus ever killed in the Americas, he is feared and hunted. Through Pepe’s story, director Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias crafts a rich, layered narrative about displacement, dislocation, and the ecological consequences of human hubris. Pepe himself narrates a cacophony of events, from riverside beauty pageants to sentimental cartoons to historical inquiries. And his guttural, ghostly laugh is a constant presence in the film’s soundscape. Unpredictable and playful, Pepe is an unforgettable, immersive cinematic experience.

 Spanish, Afrikaans, Mbukushu, German with subtitles

Content Advisory

Screenings & Events

Screening

Fri, Oct 18 @ 1:00pm CDT

at Gene Siskel Film Center, screen 2

Accessibility options for this screening:
  • Assistive Listening Devices available
Learn more about accessibility options...

Screening

Sat, Oct 26 @ 8:15pm CDT

at AMC NEWCITY 14, screen 01

Media

Film Credits

  •   Pablo Lozano, Tanya Valette, Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias
  •   Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias
  •   Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias
  •   Camilo Soratti, Roman Lechapelier, Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias
  •   Jhon Narvaez, Sor María Ríos, Fareed Matjila, Harmony Ahalwa, Jorge Puntillon García, Shifafure Faustinus, Steven Alexander, Nicolás Marin Caly
  •   Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias
  •   4a4 Productions, Pandora Films, Joe’s Vision