THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS | FILM REVIEW
Dir: Michael Dweck / Gregory Kershaw (12A, 84 mins)
A quirky subject matter for an absorbing documentary, The Truffle Hunters follows a small band of fungi-finding men and their dogs in the region of Piedmont in Italy. A truffle is a rare delicacy for dinner tables, almost literally worth their weight in gold for a culinary enthusiast, and none is rarer than the white truffle, found almost exclusively in Piedmont. The documentary follows the ageing hunters with often painterly style as they search the forests for these delicacies. Their lives have been dedicated to the pursuit of these pungent treasures, which will be sniffed and shaved over a humble fried egg to mouthwatering effect.
The search for the truffles is not without risk, however. Some of the dogs who detect them are poisoned to cut down on competition, climate change is having an effect on the availability – and, well, some of the skilled trackers are getting very old. Septuagenarians walk into trees at night searching for them; exasperated wives shout from their doorsteps to get their loved ones back home safely. For some, their dog is their only company, one hunter even taking a bath with his dog, blowdrying its hair and lamenting the fact that there will be no one left to look after his canine companion when he is gone.
It’s an ancient tradition that is quietly dying, much to the outrage of several locals but told with humour and melancholy by the film makers. They are respectful, composing static shots that capture the homelife of these men, along with grander shots of nature as dogs disappear into the hills. For good measure, there’s even a dog cam that gives us the canine view of the search for fungi. Beguiling and hypnotic, this a glimpse into a disappearing way of life.
Released on Fri 9 Apr
words KEIRON SELF