In 1879, fifteen people in the small village of Knock, Co. Mayo, claimed to witness an apparition of the Virgin Mary.
After two official inquiries, the village was declared a Marian Shrine, attracting worldwide attention and international headlines, one of which gives this thoughtful documentary its title.

Director Aoife Kelleher (One Million Dubliners) draws a vibrant portrait of a town defined by a century-old phenomenon. The audience is invited to listen to grandchildren of those who witnessed the apparition, and see sibling shopkeepers competing to sell the most religious kitsch. We observe a priest running the town’s old-fashioned matchmaking service, while a handmaid fights for more representation of women in the Church. And we meet Father Richard Gibbons, the amiable and ambitious parish priest, who works tirelessly to transform Knock into an international tourist destination. A miracle defined the town, but profits will sustain it.

While Kelleher captures the warmth of this community, she doesn’t shy away from exploring its inner conflict. Trying to maintain an identity based on faith in modern Ireland is difficult, and social issues divide the town. While some locals wish to evolve with the times, embracing ideas like same-sex marriage, others put up resistance. Anti-choice posters cover shopfronts, and rosary beads of babies inside teardrops are sold, accompanied by sharp warnings against repealing the Eighth Amendment.
Meanwhile, parishioners and priests alike struggle to reconcile their commitment to the Church in the wake of the abuse reports. Kelleher presents Knock as a possible manifestation of Ireland’s core – it’s intact, but shaking.

Both respectful and questioning, Strange Occurrences is not a religious film, but a film about religion, and Kelleher allows believers and sceptics alike to observe the business of faith.

In cinema's August 26