Ciné Club Series: 'L'Événement' by Audrey Diwan

As part of our Page to Screen series, join us for a screening of Happening (L’Événement, 2021), winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. This powerful adaptation of Nobel Prize–winning author Annie Ernaux’s autobiographical novel captures the story of Anne, a promising young student who discovers she is pregnant in 1963 France, when abortion was still illegal. Determined to continue her studies and preserve her future, Anne faces an impossible choice that will test her courage, resilience, and autonomy.

Director Audrey Diwan transforms Ernaux’s personal account into a gripping, clear-eyed portrait of a woman confronting the limits imposed by her society. Filmed with intimate realism and quiet intensity, Happening situates one woman’s experience within a larger reflection on freedom, morality, and the right to choose.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with Mariel Iezonne, a Boston-based writer, director, and producer whose work bridges fiction and documentary film. Her storytelling focuses on empathy, resilience, and the courage it takes to live with integrity.

*** Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival ***
*** 99% on Rotten Tomatoes ***
“A brutal Handmaid’s Tale from our recent European past.”— The Guardian
“Haunting and visceral… In today’s political context, a warning.”— GQ

Watch the trailer

The evening will conclude with a wine reception, offering a chance for discussion and reflection among fellow cinephiles.

Movie in French with English subtitles.