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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 EUR25,000 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.

Our soul is an unknown land, which few have managed to explore.

A plunge into the unknown brings together something magical exceeding every day life.

Once again the audience remained silent and motionless inside the cinema after the screening. The end titles fell off, the lights went out but their hearts were already connected to the secret power of my film &quot;Unknown Land&quot;

My films are ahead of their time, and some of them may not be recognized as long as I live. Perhaps, never, unless someone discovers them.

Being for many years a genuine seeker of my superior self, I have come across many spiritual paths that inspire me to make films. My purpοse has always been to share these messages with the audience.

&quot;Unknown Land&quot; is one of those films that you either love or hate - there is no middle ground. This film speaks about inner and outer peace. It questions the existence of God and shows the truly important things in life in a way that makes the viewer search for the answers himself - but they are hidden in plain sight.

The absolute joy is making art, traveling and petting cats.

I will talk only about cinema, traveling and lost loves.

17 years of filming &quot;Invisible World&quot;. If you ask me whether this journey was worth it, honestly, I don&#39;t know. I&#39;ve lost so much -myself, my sense of security, people... The obstacles were countless. But if I&#39;ve gained anything, it will become clear in the end, when I see the most important moments of my life flashing before me as I begin my final journey. The more there are, the more likely it was all worth it.

I speak through my films to a few. I do not ignite the flame for everyone, because not all seek the light. But those who do, carry it forever.

Quotes

Manuel de Coco

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