France, 1963. Anna, a philology student who dreams of becoming a writer, is faced with an unwanted pregnancy and the inability to legally terminate it: despite the sexual revolution, abortion is still illegal in France. Audrey Divan's second feature won her the Golden Lion at the 78th Venice Film Festival.
Along with the iconic Never Rarely Sometimes Always by Eliza Hittman and Cristian Mungiu’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Happening describes the insecurity and loneliness of a woman in general, not just in conditions that forbid her to control her own body, forcing her to look for alternative methods of abortion, which is always life-threatening.
The protagonist is gradually deprived of subjectivity, as her body becomes a field of public discussion about morality. Director of Photography Laurent Tanguy’s camera constantly follows Anna, emphasizing the monstrous dichotomy of her world. On the one hand, she studies Sartre and, surrounded by relaxed and carefree young people, discusses the conscience and freedom of the individual. She seems to have stepped out of the summer melodramas of the new wave classic Eric Rohmer. But she is also at the mercy of social taboos, with the camera relentlessly catching her intense gaze, filled with pain and fear.
César Award winner for her lead role as Anna, Anamaria Vartolomei masterfully portrayed the character of a girl moving from rebellious youth to a more conscious and mature period of life through a serious clash with the archaic social order.
The film will be screened in French with Russian subtitles.
Happening
Dir. Audrey Diwan
France, 2021. 100 min. 18+