Joseph Hepp

Biography

Joseph Hepp was a Hungarian-Greek cinematographer and film director, recognized as a pioneer of early Greek cinema. Initially working for Pathé, he relocated to Athens in 1910, starting as a projectionist before filming newsreels at the request of King George I, who later named him Royal Photographer and Cinematographer. He documented significant historical events, including the Balkan Wars and the excommunication of Eleftherios Venizelos in 1916, the first political report in Greek cinema history. In 1916-1917, Hepp co-founded the production company Asty Films with Giorgos Prokopiou, introducing innovations in inserting Greek titles in imported films. Despite financial difficulties that led to the company's sale, he continued working in Greek cinema, collaborating on Annoula's Dowry (1917) and later directing the Vilar series in the early 1920s. In the 1930s, he developed his own sound system for films such as I kamariera kai o manavis (1930) while working for Olympia Films. Exiled during World War I due to political suspicions, Hepp remained an influential figure in the evolution of Greek filmmaking, contributing both technical advancements and historical documentation to the industry.