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On the Adamant

Play trailer 1:41 Poster for On the Adamant 2023 1h 49m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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97% Tomatometer 30 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
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.
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On the Adamant

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Critics Consensus

Nicolas Philibert's patiently observational approach elevates On the Adamant through its refusal to impose or manufacture a narrative arc.

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Critics Reviews

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Tom Ryan Sydney Morning Herald 05/16/2024
Few will be able to watch On the Adamant without being deeply moved and inspired by what they see. Go to Full Review
Peter Sobczynski RogerEbert.com 03/29/2024
3.5/4
This is a soft-spoken but ultimately powerful work that makes the case for the importance of empathy in treating those with mental illnesses, and makes you hope that programs like the one depicted here will one day become the norm. Go to Full Review
Beatrice Loayza New York Times 03/28/2024
That Philibert doesn’t stick to a “main character,” or impose a phony narrative arc, vibes well with the facility’s free-spirited methods, even if the documentary lacks the drama of a more structured production. Go to Full Review
Diana Tuova Loud and Clear Reviews 11/12/2024
4/5
On the Adamant is a thoughtful, eye-opening documentary about one unique mental health centre that prioritises compassion, self-expression and interaction. Go to Full Review
Sumner Forbes Film Threat 04/24/2024
9.5/10
On the Adamant humanizes those living with mental illness and reaffirms their lasting value to society. Go to Full Review
Todd Jorgenson Cinemalogue 03/29/2024
Illuminating and poignant, this observational documentary avoids providing deeper context yet remains a richly detailed glimpse into a unique facility to treat mental illness. Go to Full Review
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On the Adamant

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Movie Info

Synopsis 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.
Director
Nicolas Philibert
Producer
Céline Loiseau, Gilles Sacuto, Miléna Poylo
Screenwriter
Nicolas Philibert
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Production Co
Longride Inc., TS Productions, Doco Digital, France 3 Cinéma
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
French
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 29, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 28, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA)
$18.1K
Runtime
1h 49m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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