La Manche

Swimming across the English Channel is Robin’s plan. Before entering the water come training, a departure to organise and conversations with the people who will accompany him. The Channel, also presented under the French title La Manche, is a short documentary by Kieran Neufcoeur that follows this attempt and the work of the support team.

The journey begins on land. Physical preparation includes a boxing session; on the eve of departure, Robin meets friends and teammates to discuss the crossing. How long the swim will take, how to manage feeding stops and what to expect along the way become topics of conversation. Alongside the desire to set off, there is room for fear and uncertainty.

Travel and boarding at night bring the group towards the sea. From that point, the film follows two spaces within the same undertaking: the water where Robin swims and the boat from which the others support him. Instructions, questions and updates pass between swimmer and crew. Those on board monitor the crossing and prepare what will be needed at the next stop.

The distance to cover intersects with elapsed time, the course and the condition of the body. Feeding stops interrupt the succession of strokes; conversations allow the group to take stock as the original plan is measured against what is happening. When shoulder pain develops, the discussion also concerns whether to continue and how much time might still be needed.

The documentary follows these exchanges without separating the swim from the activities that make it possible. Individual preparation sits alongside the companions’ organisation, warnings from the boat and questions addressed to Robin. The attempt takes on a shared dimension, involving different tasks and decisions discussed while the crossing is under way.

Filmed in Belgium, France and the United Kingdom, The Channel runs for approximately twenty minutes. Neufcoeur is its director and cinematographer; Alicia Damiano edited the film and Michael J. McEvoy composed the music. The film stays with Robin and his group, following the transition from preparations to the practical management of the attempt at sea.