Damian Kocur's 'La Manche' Adds German and French Co-Producers
Polish director Damian Kocur's new film 'La Manche' has secured co-production backing from Germany's Oma Inge Film and France's Les Contes Modernes, with the project presented at the Venice Production Bridge.
Polish director Damian Kocur is preparing his next feature film, «La Manche», which has secured co-production backing from Germany's Oma Inge Film and France's Les Contes Modernes. The project was presented at the Venice Production Bridge, the industry platform of the Venice Film Festival, and is produced by Kijora Film.
Kocur is known for «Bread and Salt», which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and «Under the Volcano», which was selected as Poland's official Oscar submission in 2024. The new film, «La Manche», will continue Kocur's exploration of contemporary Polish society, tackling themes of stereotypes and historical trauma.
The addition of Oma Inge Film and Les Contes Modernes signals growing international interest in Kocur's work. German and French co-producers bring both financial support and creative collaboration, a common model in European cinema that allows filmmakers to reach wider audiences while maintaining artistic vision. The Venice Production Bridge serves as a key marketplace for such partnerships, connecting filmmakers with international backers.
Kocur's previous films have earned critical acclaim for their unflinching portrayals of Polish life. «Under the Volcano» examined the lives of a Ukrainian family on the eve of the Russian invasion, while «Bread and Salt» depicted the tensions in a small Polish town. Both films established Kocur as a distinctive voice in European cinema, unafraid to confront difficult social issues.
«La Manche» — the French name for the English Channel — suggests a story that may bridge Polish and Western European perspectives. The title hints at themes of crossing borders, both literal and metaphorical, which aligns with Kocur's interest in the movement of people and ideas across Europe. The involvement of French and German partners reinforces this transnational dimension.
Details about the plot and cast remain under wraps, but the film's presentation at the Venice Production Bridge indicates it is in advanced development. The collaboration with Oma Inge Film and Les Contes Modernes is expected to facilitate shooting across multiple European countries and to secure distribution in key markets.
Kocur's rise reflects a broader trend in Polish cinema, where a new generation of directors is gaining international recognition by addressing contemporary social and political issues through a personal lens. His work often examines the fault lines in Polish society — nationalism, xenophobia, and the lingering effects of historical trauma — while maintaining a humanistic focus on individual lives.
The film's title, «La Manche», also evokes the Channel as a symbol of separation and connection between Britain and continental Europe. In the context of Poland's complex relationship with Western Europe, the title may signal a meditation on belonging, identity, and the distances that separate communities even within a unified Europe.
With production companies from three countries now on board, «La Manche» is poised to become a significant European co-production. The involvement of Oma Inge Film, based in Germany, and Les Contes Modernes, based in France, suggests that the film will engage with themes that resonate beyond Poland's borders, exploring how historical memory and cultural stereotypes shape contemporary European life.
Kocur's ability to attract international partners underscores the growing appetite for Eastern European stories told with artistic rigor. As «La Manche» moves forward, it will be watched closely by festival programmers and distributors eager to see how Kocur develops his distinctive cinematic language.
