The Truffle Hunters

I love seeing a film showing something I know little to nothing about - and having it turn out to be not only informative but wonderful. The imagination of the photography is beautiful, but having the characters reveal themselves is remarkable. The last shot in the film makes you laugh out loud.

To me this isn't really a documentary, there is no commentary, no explanation, we just see static camera shots of people going about their daily lives. One snippet of an old man washing his dog, both in a tub. A scene of an old man eating his dinner and giving a bite to his dog. An old man and his two dogs climbing a hillside in the woods. Two men bargaining on the price of a few grams of fresh truffles. Two men talking about the idiots who poison dogs.

What all these have in common, they are involved with the ancient art of truffle hunting. I found it interesting but not captivating. It gave me a glimpse into a life and livelihood, or hobby, I knew nothing about. And I am glad about that. However if I were to assign a rating on the 1 to 10 scale, compared to other documentaries, I think "5" would be fine. It was satisfying to a degree but could have been so much better with a bit of work.

On DVD from my public library.

The profound differences between the lives of four old men who have devoted themselves to their dogs and to truffle hunting is contrasted throughout the film with those who make their money and their meals by exploiting them.

This documentary is about as rare and strange a subject can get in a film which is the art and the cult of truffle hunting. Now chances are you know nothing about truffles, I know I didn't for that matter. truffles are some sort of auromatic subterranean fungi that can not be cultivated by man in any form or rate, but only be discovered and sold by a handful of old Italian dudes and their trained dogs.

I personally crave for these sort of documentaries which reflect on something I wouldn't have crossed otherwise so I was absorbed and captivated by this film. It employs a beauctiful camera work, at times mounted on a dog, it is very warm and heartful and watching those old men and their dogs go on a hunting session on forests and fields had a very enigmatic charm in it. This is a solid documentary if you like food, dogs, old charming Italian men or wacky documentaries.

Honestly, I give out ten's sparingly, because most films aren't perfect, but this one certainly approaches perfection. The name says it all, it's a documentary about truffle hunters and their dogs, yet the film reveals a world most of us have never even thought about much less seen, and in such a considered, artistic way.

Each character is so quirky and interesting, and the conversations are so authentic, it's almost as if the entire thing were a scripted film, but of course it's not. What contributes to this aesthetic is the lush photography, the considered framing and the almost art-directed natural look of rustic Italy, where it takes place.

'The Truffle Hunters' utterly captivating, human and life-affirming, it's one you shouldn't miss.