Manuel de Coco

Biography

Manuel de Coco was born in Athens, Greece. He is a film director and writer, best known for his poetic and transcendental style. He is also renowned for traveling to extreme and remote places to explore humanity's relationship with spirituality. Through his films, one can feel the harmony and divine essence of the earth, with a clear look at humanity that reveals a world in crisis. He frequently uses profound narratives, with an existential voice-over, non-professional actors and unconventional techniques to create a dreamlike and hypnotic effect. His films are visually arresting and immersive, offering a unique perspective on the art of cinema which elevates his work from a film to an experience. His directorial debut, the cult feature film "Unknown Land" (2012), was filmed in Israel and in Yemen (Socotra Island) during the period of "Arab Spring" and the monsoon season, with a broken camera. Its budget was €25,000 and the filming lasted only 12 days. It is the first feature film which has ever been shot in Socotra. This isolated island has been described as the most alien landscape on earth. The film has been screened at festivals worldwide (Cairo IFF, São Paulo IFF, Andrei Tarkovsky IFF, Film Festival Cologne etc.) and won several awards. Initially, the film was going to be Yemen's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award (Oscar), but Manuel de Coco was censored in Yemen. The film has subsequently been banned in many countries of the Arab world and in Israel. Eleven years later Manuel de Coco returned to the big screen with his second feature film, the avant-garde docu-fiction "Invisible World" (2023), filmed over a 17-year period in 10 countries (Tibet, Mongolia, Russia, Israel, Palestine, Greece, Italy, Vatican City, Nepal, India). As a result of Manuel's choice during editing, all scenes filmed in Nepal and India were cut completely. Most festivals were reluctant to present this controversial film due to political and religious reasons. Finally, "Invisible World" had its world premiere at the 27th Avanca Film Festival in Portugal and has been screened at selected festivals, receiving awards. Manuel de Coco's ambitious vision of the themes he dealt with in his first two films has divided both critics and audiences. His third feature film, "The Purification", an existential, metaphysical thriller, is in pre-production. The screenplay has been written and developed gradually over the past 25 years.