Audrey Diwan’s Happening at SFFILM Festival

Happening is a film inspired by French writer Annie Ernaux’s memoir about a young woman who encounters the trials of female reproductive rights in France during the 1960s. Regardless of the risks, the protagonist, Anne, searches for an avenue of abortion after discovering an unplanned pregnancy, which would lead to the end of this talented literature student from humble means’ hopeful future.  

Anamaria Vartolomei captures the essence of Anne in this César-winning performance, which has propelled her to new heights in her career. Her performance speaks to audiences about the risks associated with control over the female body during a time when abortions would sentence women—and anyone who helped—to prison. While abortions eventually became legal in France in 1975, Anne’s story is a chilling example of the tumultuous path to freedom of choice over the feminine body. 

The SFFILM Festival will showcase two screenings of Happening, Audrey Diwan’s second directorial film, which received the Golden Lion and FIPRESCI prizes at the Venice Festival, and a Lumiere Award for Best Film. Additionally, Diwan will host a talk about reproductive rights for young people at the Lycée Français de San Francisco—stay tuned for more details! 

Read more about Audrey Diwan and Anamaria Vartolomei.