The Event

Set in Manhattan’s fashionable Chelsea district, among the neighbourhood’s large and varied gay population, The Event is an intricately structured inquiry into one man’s death that becomes a celebration of his life. The story opens as Assistant District Attorney Nicole “Nick” Devivo (Parker Posey) launches an investigation into the death of Matt Shapiro (Don McKellar), a young man whose apparent suicide bears striking similarities to a number of other recent cases. The speed with which Matt`s body was cremated, and the conspiratorial silence that enshrouds his friends and family, are more than enough to prompt Nick’s suspicions. Though she has recently lost her own father to a lingering and painful illness, she believes that assisted suicide is wrong. It is also against the law, and she is obliged to ferret out the facts. Her interviews with Matt’s loved ones trigger a series of flashbacks that bring memories of Matt back to life for them. The Event is a bittersweet drama of love, loss, and the amazing capacity we have to prevail in the face of tragedy.