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There are some definite truths about Pepe. He was exceptionally heavy for his stocky species, reportedly weighing between four and five tonnes. Capable of reaching speeds of up to 22 mph on land and with ivory tusks jutting out from his pink gums at various angles, he served as a powerful reminder that his kind is among the most dangerous on Earth, responsible for approximately 500 human fatalities each year.
Originally from sub-Saharan Africa, Pepe was raised in the private menagerie of Colombian cocaine king, Pablo Escobar. In 2009, he escaped from captivity and was eventually shot near the area. Pepe, the unhappy hippo, was clearly out of his natural habitat and faced a tragic fate.
The topic that everyone is talking about at this week’s Berlin film festival is the meaning behind Pepe. The film, directed by Dominican filmmaker Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias, has gained attention for its unique perspective on the story of Escobar’s infamous pets. Out of the 20 films vying for the Golden Bear prize in the festival’s main competition, this arthouse film has generated buzz. Through growling voiceovers and animalistic sounds, Pepe reflects on his destiny.
The meaning behind the creature remains vague. Is the hippo a sign of misfortune, with its attacks on people foreshadowing personal betrayals? This is how a guide in Namibia explains the animal’s mythical significance to a group of European tourists on safari. Is Pepe actually the reincarnation of “the boss,” evading capture in the thick vegetation of the Magdalena Valley just like his former owner? Pablo Escobar, the notorious drug lord of the 1980s, was killed in a gunfight in 1993. However, his animals and his legacy of terror lived on after his death.
Can we interpret Colombia’s cocaine hippos as symbols of migration in an increasingly interconnected world? In 1981, Escobar imported three hippos from Africa to his Hacienda Nápoles estate. However, the hippos thrived in their new environment and by November of last year, the population had grown to around 170. At a press conference following the film’s debut on Tuesday, De Los Santos Arias compared Pepe to the cimarrons, African slaves who escaped from their Spanish masters in the mid-16th century and took refuge in the mountains of Panama.
Can Pepe’s narrative be seen as a reflection of colonialism? The movie, created during the director’s time at a Berlin residency funded by the German government, reveals that Pepe is from Namibia, a former German colony. Interestingly, the hired hunter who was tasked with killing the animal was also from Namibia.
“The movie features a philosophical concept of the circular nature of colonialism,” stated De Los Santos Arias. “How can we break free from it? It may only be possible through death.”
Can Pepe be seen as a reflection on the connection between the physical and language? Is it an effort to contemplate the world in a hippopotamus-like manner? Through the use of a voiceover, the animal portrays his family conflicts and struggles in grandiose fashion, incorporating Spanish, Afrikaans, and Mbukushu, a language spoken in present-day Namibia. He questions how he has come to possess these languages and understand what words are.
During a festival, there is often pressure for organizers and directors to take a clear stance on geopolitical events. However, Pepe argues that films have the ability to embody multiple ideas at once. Despite never reading Moby-Dick, De los Santos Arias suggested that his portrayal of a cocaine hippo had a similar quality to the white whale in the novel. This captivated both fishermen on the Magdalena River and moviegoers, while still maintaining its elusive meaning.
According to him, hippos and whales share a common ancestry. Both of these mammals possess skin glands that produce oil on their hairless skin, and they communicate using vocalizations underwater. Spending time with hippos reveals their similarities to whales.
Source: theguardian.com
