Director Jessica Hausner’s (Little Joe, Amour Fou, Lovely Rita), Venice Golden Lion-nominated film follows a pack of religious believers on a pilgrimage to Lourdes; a Christian shrine and source of alleged miraculous cures.
This poignant and intelligent film circles beautifully around the subject of miracles and faith, giving equal time to both skepticism and wonder. Crisply composed and exacting in its aesthetic - the framing is sublime, as is the use of music - the film also delights in small, surprising details, such as the sisters flirting and giggling with volunteer officers.
★★★★ “A quietly powerful and moving exploration of men and women waiting for transformations” - Sukhdev Sandhu, The Telegraph
★★★★ “Subtle, mysterious and brilliant” - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
★★★★★ “A film featuring the kind of compelling, textured female character that most serious Hollywood actresses would trade at least a decade’s worth of Botox to get their claws into” - Wendy Ide, The Times
