Polish director Damian Kocur is set to begin production on “La Manche,” a film exploring contemporary Poland, stereotypes, and historical trauma. The project, presented at the Venice Production Bridge, is a co-production between Kijora Film (Poland), Oma Inge Film (Germany), and Les Contes Modernes (France).
Kocur, whose previous work includes “Bread and Salt” and “Under the Volcano” (Poland’s 2024 Oscar submission), described the film as not being a genre piece or social commentary, but rather “a film about contemporary Poland, about the exploitation of stereotypes and historical trauma.” The story centers on a young Warsaw resident tasked with finding locations and nonprofessional actors for a foreign film shoot within Poland.
The film will also address the Poland-Belarus border crisis, a subject recently depicted in Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border.” However, Kocur intends to approach the topic “from a post-traumatic perspective,” believing Holland’s film has already thoroughly covered the immediate issue. Producer Marta Szymanowska noted that “Under the Volcano” was screened at over 100 festivals worldwide, contributing to international interest in the project.
Producers Anna Gawlita and Szymanowska explained that “La Manche” will critique both “the ‘city dweller’s’ perspective on the countryside” and “the West’s view of the East,” ultimately examining societal polarization. Kocur continues to utilize non-professional actors, aiming for a more realistic portrayal. Szymanowska stated Kocur challenges the perception of Poland as solely defined by past traumas like World War II and the Holocaust, and revisits migration themes from a historical angle. Gawlita added that the film will also address “the harsh realities of contemporary precariousness, which particularly affects those entering the job market.”
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