Audrey Diwan‘s Golden Lion Winner ‘ Happening ‘ that has been creating quite a noise post its baftas and ceasar award Best Director nominations has released its official trailer. The film garnered all the right eye-balls when Venice International Film Festival President Bong Joon Ho awarded Audrey Diwan with it’s Top price – The Golden Lion in 2021.
‘Happening‘ is a sensitive inarguably pro-choice abortion drama set around a period in france when there was enormous stigma around abortions. Scarily enough, abortions were mostly done illegally, behind-closed-doors whose outcomes swinged from death to prison. An adaptation of a 2000 memoir by Annie Ernaux, ‘ Happening ‘ has French-Romanian actress Anamaria Vartolomei who churns out an incredibly visceral and internalised performance as Anne in the lead.
The film has been receiving raving reviews throughout it’s film festival run. While “Happening” is crafted more like a docudrama, the film takes a horror turn visually and atmospherically after a point. At the wake of women’s reproductive rights being threatened again in and around the world, the timing of ‘ Happening ‘, a woman’s true story makes it feel all the more relevant. There was also Eliza Hittman‘s ‘ Never, Rarely Sometimes After ‘, another stunner of an abortion drama that came out in 2020. Both the films could make a fantastic double-bill feature.
‘Happening’ is scheduled to have an exclusive theatre release from May 6th and it makes it into the list of 2021’s must watches. Watch the official trailer below: