Lourdes is a magnet for Christian pilgrims in search of a miracle. It has the second largest number of hotels in France after Paris. Austrian director Jessica Hausner’s feature follows the longings and yearnings of one particular pilgrim. Christine is confined to a wheelchair and desperate for company and comfort. She adopts an attitude of piety so that she is made welcome on church trips. Befriending believers and sceptics alike, Christine is revealed as an incredibly poignant figure whose pilgrimage unfolds in sardonic encounters, awkward conversations and a touching central performance from Sylvie Testud.
Lourdes will be screened at the Glasgow Film Festival and will go on general release throughout the UK on March 26 2010.