Multi-award winning director Nicolas Philibert, one of the most important documentary filmmakers of our times and the 27th TIDF’s guest, received the Festival’s honorary Golden Alexander on Friday, March 7th, at Olympion theater, prior to the screening of the film On the Adamant (2023), Golden Bear winner at the Berlinale. The award was bestowed to the exceptional French filmmaker by the Festival’s General Director, Elise Jalladeau, and the Head of Programming, Yorgos Krassakopoulos, who welcomed the audience.
“Tonight, it is an honor to bestow the Golden Alexander to one of the most significant documentary filmmakers of our time, Nicolas Philibert. A creator whose primary attributes include patience, sensitivity, and profound commitment to capturing the complexity and beauty of everyday life with precision, respect, and humanitarianism. Nicolas Philibert has been with us before, and through the years, we had the pleasure to showcase nearly his entire body of work. From the emblematic To Be and to Have, which was a turning point for the contemporary documentary genre, to On the Adamant, a film in which he tenderly documented a mental health care facility, and which is going to be screened this evening, his work defined the way we perceive the art of documentary,” they stated.
Then, they touched upon Nicolas Philibert’s ability to listen and observe his protagonists: “What stands out about Nicolas Philibert is his rare ability to listen, observe, and allow his protagonists to expose themselves under their own terms. His films are not imposing – they invite us to delve into their world, to unearth the nuances of human existence with subtlety, humor, and a groundbreaking moral stance that is necessary. From a small classroom to the corridors of a museum, or the spaces within a psychiatric clinic, Nicolas Philibert showcases the voices of those that more often than not are marginalized, shedding light to the poetry hidden in daily life. His films remind us that documentary is not only a way to record life – it’s a way to comprehend, question, and finally, embrace reality with all of its contradictions and beauty. We are delighted and honored that the 27th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival has chosen to bestow the Golden Alexander award to Nicolas Philibert for his overall contribution to cinema.”
Before inviting him on stage, they thanked him for his films, his vision, and dedication to the documentary genre and to humanity. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, all this is truly wonderful. For me, it is very important that I am able to share this award with Linda, my partner and companion throughout this whole journey, the one who makes my work more radiant and illuminating. She has also accompanied me here, in Thessaloniki. I will place this beautiful gift you have bestowed upon me in its rightful place at home. More specifically, I will put it in a corridor that I pass by 20 to 30 times a day, which means I will think of you quite often. Okay, perhaps not 30 times a day, but most certainly a lot,” Nicolas Philibert initially said.
Simultaneously, he expressed that he hopes this award will not cause similar security issues to those that the Golden Bear caused him two years ago, taking the chance to narrate a fascinating story to the audience. “Two years ago, Berlinale honored me with the Golden Bear award for On the Adamant, and the following day, I had issues in the security check at the airport. The Golden Bear was packed away in my suitcase, and naturally, when I went to pass by the machine, it started beeping. The lady behind her computer asked me to open it. So, I take out the little figurine and the lady immediately calls her supervisor. The supervisor, in turn, summons his own supervisor, and the latter ends up calling the police. I swear to you that everything I'm telling you is true. Two huge German policemen arrive, wearing bulletproof vests, and they look at the little bear quite inquisitively. They also call their supervisor. He arrives, recognizes the object and shakes my hand, extending his congratulations,” Nicolas Philibert disclosed.
“I know that this is the 27th edition of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival and certainly, a lot of things have changed regarding the way people perceive documentaries, as they have started receiving greater acclaim. However, the ones who started the Festival must have wanted it very much. Today, 27 years later, things in the field of documentary are different, so much easier and more comfortable. Nevertheless, nothing is won forever, nothing is a given. And those involved in documentary filmmaking can assure us that there are still challenges, that it is a constant battle, a constant struggle to find grants and funding. It is quite a delicate subject, as is culture as a whole,” he added.
As for the correlation between culture and democracy, Nicolas Philibert stressed the following: “At this point in time, we find ourselves traversing an era when the sensitivity around culture is very intense. And as we all know, culture is directly linked to democracy. We are in Greece, the country that has given birth to democracy, and at a time when democracy is at risk, now more than ever. Thus, we must be aware. I call upon you to make democracy great again.”
After the screening, questions from the audience followed. In response to a question about how long he was visiting the facility where the riverboat was located prior to the start of the filming in order to establish trust with the people in the film, Nicolas Philibert answered: “A very short amount of time was required to gain their trust. This is not the first film I made about mental health, about 30 years ago another one preceded it, which ended up becoming renowned in psychiatry – even the patients and their carers know of it. When I arrived at the Adamant to shoot the film you just watched, I already had a reputation which made the people open up very easily. Truly, I didn’t try all that hard to make them trust me and open up to me. I explained the concept to them, what we had in mind, and everyone was ready to tell their story.”
Then, speaking about the Adamant, Linda De Zitter, Nicolas Philibert’s partner, emphasized that the therapy they offer there is based on art and creativity, understanding and respecting each individual’s sensitivities, but also aiding them in showcasing their capabilities. In other words, the therapy is adapted to the needs and gifts of each individual, using art as a means of expression and therapy, and helping patients discover things about themselves that they did not know.”
Finally, responding to a question about the lessons he learnt throughout this process, Nicolas Philibert said: "Creating this film taught me many things, but the most important one came from the people I encountered. These exceptional people, with their unique interests and their refinement, made me open my eyes and see the world differently. Through meeting with them, I discovered new aspects of myself and new capabilities. The film’s objective was not to teach something about psychiatry, but to invite the audience to delve into an unknown world and see things from a different perspective,” Nicolas Philibert concluded.
