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Digging for Culinary Gold: A TIFF Review of ‘The Truffle Hunters’
September 16, 2020Ben MK
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Watching two men negotiate over thousands of euros worth of product in a dark alleyway may seem like the makings of a drug deal, but as we see in The Truffle Hunters, it's anything but. And as directors Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw show in this quirky documentary about the age-old industry built around one of nature's most elusive culinary delights, that's just the beginning. Produced by Luca Guadagdino, the film tells the story of Northern Italy's real-life truffle hunters, a colorful group of grizzled senior citizens and their truffle-sniffing dogs who are so good at what they do that clients like Gianfranco Curti pay upwards of 150 euros for a mere 100 grams of their findings. Some of these men, like 84-year-old Aurelio Conterno, just want to find someone to take care fo their dogs after they pass; while others, like 87-year-old Carlo Gonella, have to sneak past their wives every night in order to hunt by moonlight. What these men all share in common, however, is a very specific set of skills. And in a year when truffles are becoming more and more hard to come by, it's no wonder that the low supply-demand ratio has led to increased interest in the profession. The result is a leisurely look at a bygone way of life that has somehow still managed to find a place in our modern world. But just as truffles themselves are an acquired taste, so too is this movie. Suffice to say, viewers expecting a more conventional documentary might be left wanting; but for those with more discerning tastes, The Truffle Hunters proves to be quite the connoisseur's treat. |
The Truffle Hunters screens under the Special Events programme at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. Its runtime is 1 hr. 24 min.
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