Sur l'Adamant

We see them every day in the streets of Paris, on the metro, maybe waiting for an espresso in a café. But rather than turn his head (or camera) the other way, as most of society does, Nicolas Philibert instead draws closer, in one of his warmest and most generous films to date. In his new film, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale, we encounter ordinary Parisians who drop by the Adamant, a floating wooden structure on the Seine that offers psychiatric day care for those living with mental disorders.
The camera—and the man behind it—acts as a reassuring instrument of care, another avenue for human expression. Quotidian details are captured with humour and patience, fascinating conversations arise by chance. More than anything though, this is a portrait of community, where people from vastly different backgrounds and ages are brought together, to share stories, to contribute to administrative meetings, to work collectively on projects and, yes, even to plan a film festival. As the world seems more and more consumed with moral panic when it comes to mental illnesses, SUR L’ADAMANT looks deeper into the lives of those directly affected, unveiling the nuances of human interaction and exposing humanity in unexpected places. (Michelle Carey)

Nicolas Philibert: LA VOIX DE SON MAÎTRE (1978, KO-REGIE), LA VILLE LOUVRE (1990), UN ANIMAL, DES ANIMAUX (1995), LA MOINDRE DES CHOSES (1996), QUI SAIT ? (1999), ÊTRE ET AVOIR (2002), RETOUR EN NORMANDIE (2007), NÉNETTE (2009), LA NUIT TOMBE SUR LA MÉNAGERIE (K, 2010), LA MAISON DE LA RADIO (2012), DE CHAQUE INSTANT (2018)