Audrey Diwan’s “Happening”

Happening (L'Événement) (2021)

Harrowing visit to a past to which no sensible human being would want to return told masterfully and intimately through a terrific lead performance by Anamaria Vartolomei

Based on the 2000 autobiographical novel of the same name by Annie Ernaux, the story is set in France, 1963 and focuses on Anne(Anamaria Vartolomei), who falls pregnant and finds herself in a Kafkaesque world where her decisions are taken away and her future is in jeapardy of being stolen.

Telling a story of choice(or lack thereof) and dealing with a personal struggle while the rest of the world continues its routine is something to which everyone can relate and the unflinching look at the journey Anne is on feels immediate and real. It should be required viewing for everyone not only to educate on its core focus but also as a treatise on the importance of empathy.

The structure of the film works well and it’s not long before we see things through Anne’s perspective. Complemented by music from Evgueni Galperine and Sacha Galperine, the tension ratchets slowly, almost imperceptibly until it’s too much to bear perfectly mirroring Anne’s psyche.

An important, well-crafted film that tells a story that sadly still needs to be told.