Nicolas Philibert’s quietly compelling documentary Every Little Thing (La Moindre des choses, 1996) follows patients and staff at the La Borde psychiatric clinic as they rehearse a summer play. Filmed with restraint, the documentary offers an intimate glimpse into the clinic’s non-hierarchical structure and therapeutic philosophy shaped by Jean Oury and Félix Guattari.

Join us afterwards for Professor Ian Buchanan's lecture What is Schizoanalysis?

This program is presented as part of 'Desire Is a Machine', curated by IMA Adjunct Curator Stephanie Berlangieri.

Nicolas Philibert
Nicolas Philibert is a leading French documentarian known for his sensitive and observational style. The son of a film theory lecturer, Philibert developed an early interest in cinema by attending his father’s classes. After studying philosophy at the University of Grenoble, he began his career as an assistant to directors including René Allio and Alain Tanner. His early success came with His Master’s Voice (La Voix de son maître, 1978), a documentary co-directed with Gérard Mordillat that was widely discussed following its censorship.

Philibert’s films explore a range of social and institutional contexts with care and nuance. In 2023, he was awarded the Golden Bear at the Berlinale for On the Adamant (Sur l'Adamant).

Image: Nicolas Philibert, Every Little Thing, 1996.