Happening

Based on Annie Ernaux’s memoir, Audrey Diwan’s Golden Lion–winning drama captures the urgency and desperation of a young woman trying to exert control over her body and her future. Refusing to let an unwanted pregnancy shatter her life, working-class literature student Anne begins the quest for an abortion at a time when it is illegal and taboo in France. With a career-making performance that earned her a César, Anamaria Vartolomei captivates from the moment she appears on-screen, imbuing Anne with a remarkable sensibility all along her harrowing journey. Although set in the 1960s, the narrative remains timely in an era when reproductive freedom is under assault, making Happening all the more powerful and terrifying.