French Film Festival Aotearoa | Annie's Fire

Drama | 119 minutes | Rated M - Offensive language

Inspired by true events, Annie’s Fire is the warm, tender and humane new film from Blandine Lenoir (writer/director of 2018 hit Aurore), featuring another terrific performance from the unstoppable Laure Calamy (Antoinette in the Cévennes, Full Time, Call My Agent!) as an ordinary woman who becomes emboldened by a cause far bigger than herself.

February 1974, regional France. When mild-mannered working-class mother of two Annie (Calamy) and her husband accidentally fall pregnant, they know they can’t afford to care for another child. Annie is introduced to a group of local women and doctors who offer both judgement-free support and family planning. Far from underground, the network defiantly refuses to hide from public view, even though their efforts are considered illegal across the nation. Annie is surprised by the camaraderie and conviction of her new friends, and through them, finds her mind opened to feminism and self-empowerment.

Anchored by Calamy’s generous and hugely engaging performance, amid an exceptional ensemble cast of authentic, memorable characters, Lenoir’s ode to female solidarity tells a tale as important as ever, not only a compelling reminder of how things were, but also a warning of how they could yet be.