Living in 2022 it is easy to take reproductive rights for granted. But as Happening shows, it wasn’t long ago that this wasn’t the case. This film serves as a timely reminder of how tortured a situation could become when a woman finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy. It’s a difficult and devastating situation that can be viscerally felt.
The French drama is Audrey Diwan’s second feature; and she also co-wrote the screenplay with Marcia Romano. It is based on a novel by Annie Ernaux, which was inspired by her life as a young woman in France. The setting is 1963, a time when abortion was illegal in that country. It could lead to dire consequences for various parties, including jailtime or death. It wasn’t decriminalised until 1975.
This narrative focuses on Anne Duchesne (a mesmerizing Anamaria Vartolomei). She is a promising young student at university who dreams of becoming a teacher. But a one-time tryst leaves her pregnant. The child’s father is little help, he simply wants the problem to go way. Increasingly isolated from her friends and family, Duchesne descends into deeper despair.
The proceedings play out like a thriller. The situation becomes more tense as the pregnancy progresses (the audience are reminded of this through the increments in weeks displayed on the titles). The soundtrack is a stirring mix of piano and strings.
Duchesne tries some different avenues to termination and when these fail her situation becomes increasingly fraught. The camerawork mirrors her growing sense of claustrophobia and there are some graphic, yet essential scenes. Vartolomei positively shines as a woman who is both fragile and determined to exercise her own bodily autonomy.
Happening is an important look at one woman’s story. It is an emotional rollercoaster and one that audiences will feel a lot of empathy for, irrespective of their age or gender. Ultimately this story opens up the debate about fundamental rights and what can be an all too real predicament.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Happening is screening now in cinemas nationwide.
