Hukkle is an amazing experimental film made by first time director György Pálfi last year (2002). Filmed in Hungary, it follows the inhabitants of a small village, but without resorting to any dialogue whatsoever. Pálfi's direction is perfect, and the cinematography is stunning. The hamlet is picturesque, and the characters populating it are odd and quirky. Slowly we get a tour of the village, and the lives and routines of the occupants are pieced together. Gradually it becomes obvious that something is amiss: for such a small place, there are a lot of funerals. By the end of the film the mystery of the town is unveiled during a wedding ceremony.

This is a very difficult film to categorise, but it makes for a memorable cinematic experience. While great kudos has to be given to Pálfi, who made this film as part of a doctoral thesis, the camera work (Gergely Pohárnok), sound (Tamás Zányi) and editing (Ágnes Mógor) need to be singled out for particular mention. While there is no dialogue, there are plenty of sounds, and they convey a unique rhythm to the town that suggest many clues to what's happening. Despite what you may think, this is not a boring film, and if you get the chance to see it in a festival or a movie art house then grab it. I suspect this is a film which will lose some of its charm on the small screen.