Hop Film: Happening
Softly poised but packing a wallop, this potent 1960s French abortion drama feels all too current.
France 1963. Anne is a bright young student with a promising future ahead of her. But when she becomes pregnant, she sees the opportunity to finish her studies and escape the constraints of her social background disappearing. With her final exams fast approaching and her belly growing, Anne resolves to act, even if she has to confront shame and pain, even if she must risk prison to do so.
Anne's story isn't new and serves as a stark reminder that 58 years later, too few lessons have been learned. Without didactic rhetoric or politicking, Happening powerfully essays the risks of refusing women control over their bodies. It's impossible to watch it and not think of the potential Supreme Court decision on Roe v Wade. More than anything else, Director Audrey Diwan seems interested in exploring how, at many points in history, young women had no choice but to bear this particular burden alone. D: Audrey Diwan, France, subtitled, 2022
Learn more and get tickets here