''Lourdes'' is a 2019 documentary film directed by Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai. The documentary was nominated for the César Award as well as the

Lumières Award The Lumières Award (french: Lumières de la presse internationale) is a French film award presented by the ''Académie des Lumières'' to honor the best in the French-speaking cinema of the previous year. The awards ceremony is organized by th ...

for the Best Documentary category.

Overview

The documentary provides an intimate portrait of individuals and families in marginalized communities, those with debilitating medical conditions and terminal diagnoses seeking solace at the

Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; oc, Lorda ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for the Châ ...

sanctuary site. Interviews reveal a past filled with failed suicide attempts, struggles with gender identity, and guilt-ridden parents overwhelmed by the sense of responsibility over their struggling children.

Reception

The documentary received widespread critical acclaim. Robert Abele of the

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

praised the documentary stating, the core "is defined less by sightseeing religiosity (even as the basilica, the grotto, the baths, and torchlight processions are well represented) than by an interest in humans as an innately lost and sad, yet ineffably questing and empathetic tribe." Frank Scheck of the

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

said that, "The focus on afflicted individuals provides the film with a strong emotional component, abetted by Pierre Aviat’s powerful musical score" but also noted that the film was more "immersive rather than informative."

References

2019 films French documentary films 2010s French-language films 2019 documentary films 2010s French films {{2010s-France-film-stub