Nicolas Philibert

Nicolas Philibert (1951) is a French filmmaker. He studied philosophy before turning to cinema, working as an assistant director alongside René Allio and Alain Tanner. He made his debut in 1978 with La voix de son maître (co-directed with Gérard Mordillat), a portrait of industrial leaders reflecting on power and hierarchy. From the 1990s onward, Philibert established himself as one of France’s most acclaimed documentarians, with works such as La ville Louvre (1990), Le pays des sourds (1992), La moindre des choses (1996), and the essay film Qui sait? (1998). His international breakthrough came with Être et avoir (2002), an intimate portrait of a rural classroom that became a global success. Subsequent films include Retour en Normandie (2007), Nénette (2010), La maison de la radio (2013), and De chaque instant (2018). His most recent feature, Sur l’Adamant (2023), set on a floating day-care centre for adults with mental disorders in Paris, won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale.