The Typewriter and Other Headaches

Nicolas Philibert’s On the Adamant (2023) and Averroès & Rosa Parks (2024) focus on two exceptional centers for psychiatric care in Paris. In The Typewriter and Other Headaches he follows several figures from these earlier films. He visits them in their homes in the wake of volunteers providing practical help, like repairing the typewriter on which Goulven composes his poetry, or checking a CD player for Muriel—music is a ray of light in her lonely life. Music lover Ivan has problems with his printer and DVD player, and his housemate Gad gets advice about his ambitions to find employment. Another volunteer helps Frédéric sort his ever-expanding collection of music and books.