Pepe tells the story of the first and only hippopotamus to be killed in the Americas. Born in Africa, Pepe was transported to Colombia to spend the rest of his days at a private zoo belonging to Pablo Escobar. In this film, Arias gives voice to the animal — in three different languages: Spanish, Afrikaans and Mbukushu — making him the protagonist and narrator of his own adventure. This post-colonial fable won Carlos de los Santos Arias the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlinale.