“Lourdes, France, 1858 . . . the healing waters flow from the grotto, carrying a message, and a promise.” Or so the Internet informs potential visitors to Lourdes, a hot spot for Christian travel. Following a pack of religious believers on a pilgrimage to Lourdes, Jessica Hausner's third feature explores this major Christian shrine and source of allegedly miraculous cures. A city of a mere fifteen thousand inhabitants, Lourdes nevertheless has the second-greatest number of hotels in France (after Paris). While anyone's first reaction to the hype might be disbelief, Hausner exercises some of her signature Austrian cool. Always treading a fine line between sorrow and satire, she has proven herself a consummate arbiter. In Lourdes, Hausner's depiction of her emotionally and physically disabled protagonist wavers between a critique of religion and a story of redemption.
Christine (Sylvie Testud) only acts pious so she can be taken on church trips. As she readily admits, she doesn't get many chances to travel while stuck in a wheelchair (due to an illness that seems to be multiple sclerosis). Accompanied by a skeptical companion and surrounded by desperate souls seeking a miracle, Christine craves only company, and she's not too discriminating. From disbelieving volunteers to zealous church matriarchs, she is willing to befriend anyone she comes into contact with, regardless of form or faith. Suffering from underdeveloped social skills, Christine fumbles her way through conversations, falling into one uncomfortable silence after another, but her smile never wanes. Testud brings her character to vivid life under the nuanced direction of Hausner. Both guarded and yearning, this is a multi-faceted heroine.
Christine's pilgrimage to Lourdes is perplexing and wonderful in its misguided search. She will discover that the most important part of the journey is to believe in something, whether basic human kindness or divine intervention. Perhaps Christine might even get her miracle, as long as she doesn't waste her life praying for it.
Dimitri Eipides
Jessica Hausner was born in Vienna and studied directing at the Vienna Film Academy. Her award-winning short films include
Flora (96) and
Inter-View (99), which earned a special mention at the Cinéfondation at the Cannes Film Festival. Her feature debut,
Lovely Rita (01), screened at the Festival, as did her second film,
Hotel (04).
Lourdes (09) is her third feature film.