September 4, 2025 – Cincinnati, OH — The Caribbean Eye film series welcomed to the Queen City as Dominican director Nelson Carlo de los Santos Arias made a special appearance for the screening of his internationally acclaimed film Pepe. The event, held at the Esquire Theater, drew a vibrant crowd of students, professors, and community leaders, eager to engage with the visionary behind this film.
De los Santos Arias, who made history in 2024 as the first Latin American to win the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival, began his Cincinnati visit with a talk at the University of Cincinnati. Later that evening, he joined attendees for the screening of Pepe, a surreal and haunting meditation on memory, time, and identity—told from the perspective of a hippopotamus killed in the Americas. Pepe defies conventional storytelling. The film’s narrator, a disembodied voice claiming to be the spirit of the hippo, offers a fragmented, poetic reflection on existence and displacement. Its experimental style and philosophical depth have captivated audiences.
Among those in attendance were Laura Moese, President of the LULAC Ohio Educational Foundation (LOEF), Northern Kentucky University student Camilo Idrobo, and several University of Cincinnati faculty and students. The evening was hosted by UC Professor Mary Leonard, whose dedication to bringing global cinema to local audiences was celebrated throughout the event. Following the screening, de los Santos Arias participated in a lively Q&A session, fielding questions about the film’s themes, production process, and his artistic journey.
The event marked a significant moment for Cincinnati’s cultural scene, bridging international artistry with local engagement—and leaving attendees inspired by the power of film to provoke, connect, and transform.