ON THE ADAMANT
This is a portrait of the day reception center Adaman, for people with mental disorders. Located on the right bank of the Seine, this ship is their safe harbor. The fact that the French gave part of the coast to an institution that does not generate any income and deals with people who would be invisible in any other system seems unreal. Adaman offers them what they need most – a daily routine. Psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, special educators, psychomotor specialists and various art therapists work there. We follow several residents and get to know their lives, problems, joys and talents in a very gentle way. The film is an emotional record of people for whom seemingly simple everyday things like sewing, painting or cooking jam mean survival and life.
Nicholas Philibert was born in 1951, in Nancy, France. He studied philosophy at the University of Grenoble before he embarked on a career in the film industry. Between 1985 and 1987, he made several films about mountains and adventure for TV. After that, he focused on making feature-length documentaries for theatrical distribution. Some of his most praised documentaries include To Be and to Have, Return to Normandy, Nénette, and On the Adamant. Over the last fifteen years, there have been more than 120 retrospectives or ‘homages’ to Philibert organized internationally including the British Film Institute in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Berlin IFF – Berlinale – Golden Berlin Bear for Best Film
Silk Road IFF China – Golden Silk Road Award for Best Documentary
ON THE ADAMANT (doc.)
DIRECTOR: Nicolas Philibert
COUNTRY: France, Japan
YEAR: 2022.
RUNTIME: 109’
LANGUAGE: French
PRODUCTION: TS Productions, France 3 Cinéma, Longride
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