LOURDES moves in as mysterious a way as events at the iconic shrine visited by millions of cure-seeking pilgrims annually. Is Austrian director Jessica Hausner's luminous multi-award winner a subtly subversive black comedy or a deeply spiritual portrait of physical rebirth? And is what happens to wheelchair bound Christine (visiting Lourdes because it's one of the few excursions available for the handicapped) an actual miracle? With a gallery of believable characters, and beautifully filmed in Lourdes itself, this tale of change and healing is brilliantly scripted, is shot in a delightfully deadpan style and features some captivating, slyly comic performances. Just like its central character, it can be reverent, irreverent, factual or ironic – the choice is yours.