On the Adamant (Sur l'adamant)
Nicolas Philibert, 2023, Documentary, 109 min.
In French with English subtitles
Q&A with Lena Green and Shanny Peer

Winner of the Golden Bear Award 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 transformative 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 can 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.

Watch the trailer.

Nicolas Philibert studied philosophy at the University of Grenoble. Ever since the international success of Le pays des sourds (1992), a stunning and lyrical documentary about the world of the deaf, he has been regarded as one of the most important contemporary filmmakers. Être et avoir (2002) won the European Film Award for best documentary.

Speakers

Lena Green is Lecturer in Social Work at Columbia University and currently serves as the executive director of the HOPE Center, a community-based mental health clinic connected to Harlem’s historic First Corinthian Baptist Church.

Shanny Peer is the Director of the Columbia Maison Française.

This film screening is presented as part of the Columbia University Maison Française 2024 Film Festival, CINEMA/CARE. The Festival is produced and presented by the Columbia Maison Française and curated by Fanny Guex, and Shanny Peer, and Eva Martin. The full festival program can be found here.