In a darkened alley, two men negotiate a price for a rare commodity in a brown bag. It’s going to cost him four thousand Euros. You would think it is a drug deal. In fact, it is something worth its weight in gold. It is the ridiculously expensive white Alba truffles. They are a rare and delicious mushroom grown in the woods of Northern Italy. ‘The Truffle Hunters’ reveals the world of the foragers of this precious fungus. Filmmakers Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw follow these old men and their dogs in search of truffles. It is a fascinating celebration of tradition and passion. ‘The Truffle Hunters’ is worth seeking out.
As the film follows these elderly men, they all have one thing in common. They find the truffles through the help of their trained dogs. That’s the magic of this documentary. It is the bond between these men and their canines. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there when it comes to truffles. These men are very secretive about their hunting locations. Many of them have decided to take their knowledge to the grave due to the greed of the business. Some of the best footage is when the camera follows the men and their dogs through the woods. The beautiful forests look like a gorgeous painting. The dogs are in heaven running through the woods.
There is even footage of a GoPro camera attached to one of the dogs as they run through the woods in the hunt for truffles. Their keen sense of smell allows them to sniff out the aromatic mushroom. Once they find one, they dig like crazy for their buried treasure. The dogs are good at what they do. The men are lucky to find a handful of truffles. When a buyer gives them 500 Euros, he can turn around and sell them for 4500 Euros. That’s capitalism at its finest. One old man is so disgusted with how greedy the business has gotten that he refuses to hunt anymore. His hunting knowledge and secret location will go to his grave.
What makes ‘The Truffle Hunters’ resonate is how the old men hold on to tradition. They lead relatively simple lives in their cottages with their beloved dogs. They don’t seem stressed over the problems of modern society. They seem like they are from a different planet. They appear to be extremely happy and spry for their ages. The dogs are treated like prized athletes. One hunter lets his dog eat at the dinner table. In contrast, we see a fat truffle broker seated at a fancy restaurant eating undercooked eggs sprinkled over with truffle shavings. As he savors each bite, we hear Italian opera playing in the background.
‘The Truffle Hunters’ is a rare delicacy. It should be savored like the illustrious mushroom. It’s about sustaining tradition in a fast-paced world. It did not make me want to run out and buy a truffle. I just cannot justify the price. What it did make me admire is the simple life these men lead in the beautiful countryside of Italy. It is no wonder these men lead long and happy lives. They get to hunt in the woods with their best friends. Now that’s a joyful life!
