A look at the final week of the Three Rivers Film Festival

The Three Rivers Film Festival (Nov. 7 – 23) is celebrating its 22nd year of bringing… The Three Rivers Film Festival (Nov. 7 – 23) is celebrating its 22nd year of bringing independent, foreign and classic cinema to Pittsburgh. As the festival moves into the last week, Pittsburgh Filmmakers theaters will unleash the final wave of diverse films.

“The Event”

With the unlikely pairing of detective story and AIDS drama, Thom Fitzgerald’s “The Event” uses a “Law and Order” structure to explore the conflict between love and legal obligations.

The death of AIDS victim Matt Shapiro (Don McKellar) raises suspicion in the local district attorney’s office. AIDS counselor Brian (Brent Carver) has had three clients die right after parties thrown for each of them, and Matt makes number four. Investigator Nicky (Parker Posey) interviews friends and family to piece together just what happened at Matt’s party, dubbed “The Event.”

The last months of Matt’s life – and, finally, his “Event” – are revealed little by little through a series of flashbacks. When Nicky interrogates a suspect, Fitzgerald sends us from the blue, dreary present to a bright, vividly colorful past.

Soon Nicky begins to question whether or not Matt’s loved ones did wrong, if his death was, in fact, assisted suicide – especially after spending time with Matt’s mother (Olympia Dukakis), who defied homophobic family members by supporting her son until the end. The pairing of genres, though unusual, increases the poignancy of a distressing tale.

“The Event” is showing at Regent Square Theatre on Thurs., Nov. 20 at 9:30 p.m.

“Hukkle”

A far more subtle shadow of murder darkens Gyorgy Palfi’s “Hukkle,” a portrait of a rural Hungarian village. With virtually no dialogue, “Hukkle” studies human and animal interaction through rhythmic sound and motion.

An old man (Ferenc Bandi) sits on a porch as villagers pedal or stroll by, his chronic hiccups falling in sync with the hum of birds and insects or the clickity-clank of bicycle tires.

However, the harmony between man and wildlife is easily disrupted. The mechanical clatter of vehicles and factory equipment is equally rhythmic, yet it drowns out the peaceful buzz of nature. Both humans and animals are at risk of being silenced altogether by a mysterious woman who may have murder on her mind.

“Hukkle” draws us in with long takes, beautiful close-ups of wildlife and machinery and exaggerated sound effects. Palfi unifies the study of visual and aural patterns with the darker subplot constantly looming overhead.

“Hukkle” is showing at Regent Square Theatre on Fri., Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Sat., Nov. 22 at 5 p.m.

“On_Line”

On the opposite side of the spectrum is Jed Weintrob’s allegedly “erotic” drama “On_Line”. Dumped and dejected, John Roth (Josh Hamilton) and his sex-addict roommate, Moe Curly (Harold Perrineau Jr.), co-found “Intercon-X,” a porn Web site which connects people incapable of forming meaningful relationships outside of their monitors.

“On_Line” exposes the extent to which the digital age has altered human interaction. When people aren’t getting off in front of their Web cams, they turn to the Internet for stalking or suicide support. John can’t take his eyes off the 24-hour spy sites, and Moe’s girlfriend, Moira (Isabel Gillies), chases Valium with vodka while groaning out her angst to anyone with a modem and a credit card.

If you can get past the creepiness of screen-on-screen action, “On_Line” isn’t without artistic merit. Scenes flow together in a blur of vibrant reds, yellows and blues, and Weintrob’s heavy usage of the multi-split screen gives the impression of having several program windows open at once. But unless you’re keen on virtual smut, it’s style without bearable substance.

“On_Line” is showing at the Harris Theatre on Sat., Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Sun, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m.