Dominican film director and scriptwriter, Nelson Carlos de los Santos’ “Pepe” had its world premiere at the Theater Am Potsdamer Platz as part of the Official Selection of the 74th edition of the Berlinale on 20 February 2024.
It is the first time a Dominican film premieres as part of the prestigious Berlinale’s official selection.
Dominican ambassador in Germany Francisco Caraballo and the director general of the Dominican Film Agency, Marianna Vargas Gurilieva were present at the premiere of the Dominican film.
Ambassador Francisco Caraballo said: “This is a historic moment for the Dominican Republic and its cinematography. We are proud to present to the world this work that reflects the talent and quality that represents us.”
De los Santos is known for his innovative films. He had already set new standards when releasing “Cocote” in 2017. De los Santos first internationally released film was Santa Teresa y Otras Historias (2015).
De los Santos explained that the idea for the film came when he visited his friend sculptor Camilo Restrepo in Medellin, Colombia and observed Restrepo’s installation showing a hippopotamus in front of nearly 5,000 soldiers. When Restrepo told De los Santos the story behind the installation, the Dominican movie-making felt compelled to share it with the world.
“Pepe” is innovative in its use of immersive sound. The movie was filmed in five countries with the last shot in November 2022 in the Dominican Republic. Most of the actors are not professionals. The people in the film speak several languages — Spanish, English, German, Afrikaan and Mbukushu.
The plot as on IMDB: “A voice that claims to be from a hippopotamus. A voice that doesn’t understand the perception of time. Pepe, the first and last hippo killed in the Americas, tells his story with the overwhelming orality of these towns.”
He said the film was possible because of incentives in the Dominican Film Law. He also received financing from German and Swiss funds.
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DGCine
El Caribe
IMDB
22 February 2024