Afflicted with multiple sclerosis, Christine (Sylvie Testud) makes a pilgrimage to the holy site of Lourdes in hopes of a miracle. Among thousands of ailed visitors, she proceeds through the well-oiled machinery of the religious tourist destination until the unbelievable happens: she is suddenly able to walk. As Christine becomes the object of wonder and envy, bolstering and testing the faith of her fellow pilgrims, the question remains whether all is as it seems.

A personal favorite of Martin Scorsese, Jessica Hausner’s acclaimed third feature distills the central theme of her filmography: the contentious gray area between faith and fact. Dryly humorous and quietly riveting, LOURDES is the “superbly subtle, mysterious and brilliantly composed film” (The Guardian) that established Hausner as a vital contemporary auteur on a global scale.

“Hausner’s tour de force of ambivalence, intelligence and invention will make you believe in cinematic miracles.” –The Independent

DIRECTED BY JESSICA HAUSNER
AUSTRIA, FRANCE, GERMANY | 2009 | FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES