‘Happening’ was screened as part of the ‘Annie Ernaux – a Global Perspective’ event at the Institut francais d’Écosse, supported by the Edinburgh Film Guild.
‘Annie Ernaux – a Global Perspective’ was held as part of ‘Women Shaping the World’ strand, where the Institut français addressed issues and perspectives on women’s rights through a series of events, film screenings and discussions with and about women shaping the world. French author Annie Ernaux was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature “for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory”.
Friday, 4 October:
Film: Happening (L’événement)
Audrey Diwan | France | 2022
In 1963, student Anne (Anamaria Vartolomei) has a bright future ahead of her, but her dream of finishing her studies is shattered when she becomes pregnant. An adaptation of Annie Ernaux‘s novel of the same name, looking back on her experiences when abortion was still illegal in France. Winner: Golden Lion, Venice Film Festival 2021; Best Film, Best Actress, Lumiere Awards 2022; Most Promising Actress, César Awards 2022; Nominee: Best Director, BAFTA Film Award 2022.
Wednesday, 2nd October:
Film: ‘The Super 8 Years’
Annie Ernaux, David Ernaux-Briot | France, 202 | 63 min | French with English subtitles | Rated 12
In 2022, Annie Ernaux, winner of the Nobel Prize in literature, together with her son David Ernaux-Briot, created a wistful cine-memoir composed of super-8 family footage shot between 1972 and 1981. This dreamy documentary, which premiered to critical acclaim in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, written and narrated by Ernaux herself, tells of a time when the author was in her thirties and raising two children.
Thursday, 3rd October:
Conference: 1974-2024: Annie Ernaux’s Years – a Global Perspective
Conference on the work of French author Annie Ernaux, who was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Literature “for the courage and clinical acuity with which she uncovers the roots, estrangements and collective restraints of personal memory”. Her literary work, mostly autobiographical, maintains close links with sociology. Annie Ernaux answered questions from the audience during a livestream conference.
Details:
2pm: Conference opening
2.15pm-3pm: “Trauma and agency in the works of Annie Ernaux”, a conference by Barbara Havercroft (University of Toronto, Canada)
3pm-4pm: Plenary session
“Annie Ernaux: from award to award”, a conference by Pierre-Louis Fort (CY Cergy-Paris Université, France)
“Annie Ernaux and the U.S.A.”, a conference by Michèle Bacholle (Eastern Connecticut State University, U.S.A.)
4pm-4.30pm: Coffee break
4.30pm-5.30pm: Plenary session
“Readers’ responses to A Girl’s story”, a conference by Karin Schwerdtner (Western University, Canada)
“Annie Ernaux, theorist of sex and love”, a conference by Ania Wroblewski (University of Guelph, Canada)
6pm-7pm: Conversation with Annie Ernaux (online), interpreter/translator: Julia Hartley
Location:
Institut français d’Écosse (French Institute of Scotland)
The Library (1st Floor)
West Parliament Square
Edinburgh EH1 1RF
Institut français d’Écosse (French Institute of Scotland). Founded in 1946, the Institut français d’Ecosse is a cultural centre promoting the French language and culture in Scotland. It is part of the wider Institut Français network around the world, which is administered by the French Foreign Ministry.