The Truffle Hunters

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.

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.

Great film with amazing cinematography. The story is original and interesting to watch but shots do run a little too long at times. It is not told in a traditional documentary format, which made me curious to what would happen next. Lot's of information was sneaked into my mind that I did notice until later in the film.

I do wish this film was a little bit better, the idea and summery was very intriguing to me but because of the slow nature in shots I did tend to get bored.

If one is a dog lover this is a much watch.

Real. I just loved it.... So refreshing without a fast pace and clips .

Stunning photo. Loveable real people.

And a message to a greedy world out there. A masterpiece.