On the Adamant
Directed by Nicolas Philibert
Winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, this affecting, enlightening documentary from nonfiction master Nicolas Philibert (To Be and to Have, In the Land of the Deaf) invites viewers to come aboard the Adamant and witness the transformational power of art and community. The Adamant is a one-of-a-kind place: a floating refuge on the Seine River in the heart of Paris that offers day programs for adults with mental illnesses. Its attendees come from across the city and are offered care that grounds them in time and space, helping them achieve recovery and stability. Through a blend of therapy, education, and culture rooted in music and the arts, the Adamant offers a hopeful vision of what a humanistic approach to mental health care could look like. The community on the boat is intentionally created so that both the staff and the people receiving care are treated with the same respect and dignity. Their meetings and conversations reveal the camaraderie and collective humanity of a group of people whose similarities far outweigh their differences.
Reviews
“Compassionate, intelligent… there is enormous warmth, sympathy and human curiosity in this film.”
“Inside the Adamant, a convivial atmosphere of disorder reigns. There's something to be said for how quaint… this quite remarkable facility is made out to be. Could treating the mentally ill with respect and empathy be this simple?”
"The Adamant encourages visitors to see themselves beyond and in spite of their condition. It reminds them that mental illness is a condition they have, not the defining element of who they are. The ambition of Nicolas Philibert’s Berlinale-winning “On the Adamant” is to extend that view to a wider audience"
“Gently poetic.”
“A moving testament to what people are capable of.”
“Demonstrates the healing power of art and community. A work of endearing compassion and quiet observation.”
“A majestic, humanist film."
“A real gem."
