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Polish director Olga Chajdas continues chasing different projects as she follows Netflix’s “1983,” HBO’s “The Border” and award-winning features “Nina” and “Imago” with the new six-episode historical drama “A World Divided.”

“A long time ago, I promised myself I wouldn’t repeat myself, ever,” she explained to Variety. “I lean towards fiction, so it seemed intriguing, but I wasn’t interested in making another documentary about World War II. We focus on real-life characters. Some are more famous than others, but we keep things subjective, trying to reflect what they were experiencing at that very time.”

She co-directed the show with Frank Devos.

“We decided to ‘split’ the characters. I ended up focusing on women, Frank focused on men, but only because these were our favorites. It was an interesting process because we work very differently. He’s read all the books and was concentrating on the factual layer.

Next year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and it’s no surprise networks and distributors are gathering the troops to commemorate. With war spreading in the Middle East and conflicts ongoing elsewhere around the world, the poignancy of programming in this area has been amplified this year.

What sets apart the noisiest of the new productions in this space that are heading for MIPCOM in Cannes, is that many of them aren’t using the global conflict as the actual setting for their stories. Instead, the war is a jumping-off point for wider, exploratory narratives, and themes different to those in traditional programs.

Among the most notable is the six-episode drama series A World Divided, which integrates archive footage with fictional drama. The series follows six people whose personal and political stories crystallized divisions and decisions that impacted the Second World War through to...

Featuring famed directors such as Argentina’s Ariel Rotter and Spain’s Benito Zambrano, who have not only played but won at Berlin and San Sebastian respectively, Malaga’s 19-pic out of competition strand is a testament to the buyer-driven pulling power of Malaga , thanks to its significant market.

Multiple other name auteurs pack out the selection, which also includes a far stronger line is broad audience comedies than most festivals would risk.

This is certainly territory for discoveries and breakouts – a healthy Málaga tradition.

A brief drill down on titles:

“La Bandera”

Director: Martín Cuervo

“La Bandera,” produced by Álamo Producciones Audiovisuales and Idesia Films, humorously unfolds a family’s inheritance dispute, in the sense that sons, Aitor Luna and Miquel Fernández, aren’t getting what they expected from their father played by Spanish veteran actor Imanol Arias.

“A Blue Bird”

Director: Ariel Rotter

Respected Argentine auteur Rotter returns...

The immigrant drama follows a man trying to reunite with his wife and daughter in Spain.

Barcelona-based Filmax will handle world sales for Benito Zambrano’s next feature Jumping The Fence, a co-production between Spain’s Cine 365 and Castelao Productions, and France’s Noodles.

Jumping The Fence tracks Ibrahim who, years ago, migrated from Guinea to Spain where he now has his roots with Mariama. Their quiet lives are turned upside down when he is deported back to Guinea, and he sets out to return to Spain and be reunited with his wife and daughter.

Moussa Sylla, Nansi Nsue...

Shooting began secretly in Madrid on September 16 and is expected to finish October 29 in Tenerife.

Spain’s Cine365 and Castelao Productions have teamed with French outfit Noodles to co-produce El salto (translated as The Jump), the next project from veteran filmmaker Benito Zambrano.

The film follows Ibrahim, a migrant from Guinea who now lives in Madrid with his wife Mariama. Their peaceful lives turn upside down when he is arrested for not having a residence permit. Ibrahim is deported to his native country and from that moment on his only objective will be to return to Spain to be with...