Fatima (12)
Directed by Marco Pontecorvo
★★★

INSPIRED by real events surrounding the supposed appearance of the Virgin Mary to three young shepherds and the miracles she thereafter performed in Fatima, Portugal in 1917, this is a fascinating tale of the power of faith, fear and persecution.

The film opens with a religious scholar and sceptic (Harvey Keitel) interviewing 80-year-old Carmelite nun Sister Lucia (Sonia Braga) about witnessing, at the age of 10 along with her two cousins Francisco (Jorge Lamelas) and Jacinta (Alejandra Howard), the appearance of Our Lady (Joana Ribeiro).

The story is then told in flashback: the youngsters were visited by the Virgin over six months, during which she told them three prophecies.

As their tale spread it attracted ever larger crowds of pilgrims yearning for peace — as World War I raged on — and angered church officials and the town’s progressive mayor (Goran Visnjic), who didn’t believe the children and felt that they were dangerous: locking them up and threatening them to recant their testimony.

Even Lucia’s (Stephanie Gil) devoutly religious mother (Lucia Moniz) is convinced that her daughter is making it up and gives her hell. As faith-based films go, co-writer-director Marco Pontecorvo (whose father was the great Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo) delivers a solid drama, driven by captivating performances from this very young cast, especially Gil.

But it is a tale that will mainly appeal and speak to the converted.