Pepo (Պեպո) is an Armenian film directed by Hamo Beknazarian which is based on Gabriel Sundukyan's 1876 play of the same name. Pepo was the first Armenian sound film ever created. The film has gained international recognition and has come to represent Armenian culture abroad.

Plot

Set in 19th century Tiflis, the film details the day-to-day life of a poor but honest Armenian fisherman Pepo (Hrachia Nersisyan) who opposes a cunning trader Arutin Kirakozovich Zimzimov (Avet Avetisyan), who has robbed the former by trickery. The story comes to a conclusion of sorts when Pepo falls in love.

Cast

• Hrachia Nersisyan - Pepo
• Tatyana Makhmuryan - Kekel, his sister
• David Malyan - Kakuli, a friend
• Avet Avetisyan - Arutin Kirakozovich Zimzimov
• Hambartsum Khachanyan - Darcho, merchant (as A. Khazanyan)
• Hasmik Agopyan - Shushan (as Hasmik)
• Grigor Avetyan - Giko (as G. Avetyan)
• Nina Manucharyan - Natel (as N. Manuizauryan)
• Armen Gulakyan - Duduli, a friend

• N. Gevorgyan - Efemia
• Gurgen Gabrielyan - Kinto
• A. Kefchiyan - Pichkhul
• H. Vanyan - Margurit
• M. Garagash - Gevorg, clerk
• Vladimir Barsky - Judge
• V. Bagratuni - Samson
• M. Beroyan - Darcho's mother
• M. Jrpetyan - Gossiper

Release

Pepo was the first full-length feature produced in Soviet Armenia. It was also the first Armenian sound film ever created. An impressive aspect of the film is not that it was made well but that it was made, at all. The film came into existence only 12 years after the Ottoman empire had conducted its genocidal campaign against the Armenians.

References