“Sur l’Adamant”
Film by Berlinale winner is said to improve the psychiatric situation
Nicolas Philibert, director, received the Golden Bear for the best film at the Berlinale. photo
© Jörg Carstensen/dpa-Pool/dpa
Director Nicolas Philibert criticizes the way mentally handicapped people are treated. He therefore has high hopes for his film.
With his Berlinale-winning film “Sur l’Adamant”, the French director Nicolas Philibert wants to help people with mental disabilities to be seen in a different light. The documentary, which won Saturday’s Golden Bear, tells the story of a center for people with mental health problems in Paris.
“There’s still a lot of stereotyping going on and the film is basically trying to overcome that a little bit,” said Philibert after the awards ceremony on Saturday night. “But I think there’s still a lot to do. I mean, the subject itself isn’t a central issue, at least not in France.” The 72-year-old said: “Maybe the film can change a little bit about certain things. Because things aren’t going well in psychiatry.”