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Happening

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1:56

Happening

R

Released May 6, 2022

1h 40m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

172 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

France, 1963. Anne is a bright young student with a promising future ahead of her. But when she falls 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...

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Critics Consensus

A tough but rewarding watch, Happening puts a personal face on an impossibly difficult choice and its heart-rending aftermath.

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Caryn James

BBC.com

Artful and socially resonant, Happening is one of the most poignant and moving films of the year.

Dec 27, 2022

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Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

A film of international importance, told with empathy, sincerity and anger.

Dec 13, 2022

Full Review

Alissa Wilkinson

Vox

It’s brutal in spots, but especially vital to watch right now.

Aug 5, 2022

Full Review

William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

Happening grabs you from the first minute and never lets go, taking you on a dark and real journey alongside a young woman facing an unwanted pregnancy in the 1960s.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 18, 2024

Full Review

Stephanie Bunbury

Deadline Hollywood Daily

Happening is a bravura piece of filmmaking. It is executed cleanly, precisely, without shying away from anything but without dwelling on it either.

Sep 16, 2023

Full Review

Ryan Oquiza

Sinegang

Diwan’s adaptation is unique for its unflinching resolve to show the callousness of men (the intransigent doctors and exploitative men), the inadequacies of social structures, and the need for solidarity amongst women.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 18, 2023

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Shahram

it is an easy example of roller coaster destiny of human being.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/27/22

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Carlos

This French movie is about abortion when this procedure was illegal in the 1960s France, and the law was strictly enforced and everyone was afraid to break it, no doctor would risk jail if a woman ventured to request an abortion. So, when this young woman became accidentally pregnant, she was devastated because it meant to throw away her ambition to pursue a professional career and her future. When she sought an abortion, no one would dare to help her, no friends or her physicians wanted to hear about it. The young woman makes risky attempts to end her pregnancy and her life became a nightmare. This movie arrives in the United States when American women are on the verge of losing their right to choose an abortion thanks to an impending decision by judges in the Supreme Court bent on ending this right that has existed for almost fifty years.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/22/22

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Joseph K

Unflinching and intense. Well acted.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/22/22

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Paul P

Excellent story, excellent acting. This is a difficult story that needs to be told and heard by the masses.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/22/22

Full Review

Anne M

A graphic, courageous, heart-wrenching French film about a young woman who seeks an abortion when it was still illegal.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/22/22

Full Review

Kathy S

Very topical movie. The abortion was horrible and in your face. I hope we focus more on providing support for women, no matter what their choice.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/17/22

Full Review

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Audrey Diwan

Director

Anamaria Vartolomei

Anne Duchesne

Kacey Mottet Klein

Jean

Luàna Bajrami

Hélène

Louise Orry-Diquéro

Brigitte

Louise Chevillotte

Olivia

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Happening: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

France, 1963. Anne is a bright young student with a promising future ahead of her. But when she falls 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...

Director: Audrey Diwan
Producer: Alice Girard, Edouard Weil
Screenwriter: Marcia Romano, Audrey Diwan, Annie Ernaux
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Srab Films, France 3 Cinéma, Rectangle Productions, Wild Bunch
Rating: R (Graphic Nudity|Disturbing Material/Images|Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): May 6, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 21, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA): $180.1K
Runtime: 1h 40m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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