The Truffle Hunters is a real-life fairytale that celebrates human passion in a community struggling to protect a way of life that seems forgotten in time. The film follows a handful of truffle hunters seventy or eighty years young, as they hunt for the rare and expensive white truffle—which to date has resisted all of modern science’s efforts at cultivation and sells for upwards of 5,000 Euros a kilogram. Along the way, you’ll explore Northern Italy’s magical forests with their beloved dogs, shameless truffle dealers, and disarming aficionados.
Filmed over three years, The Truffle Hunters, was a hit at Sundance earlier this year and selected by the 2020 Cannes, Telluride, New York, and Toronto Film Festivals. It’s luscious cinematography and immersive soundscape provide a stylish and sometimes humorous glimpse into a world of obsessions and well-guarded secrets. From wealthy gourmets to hard-working laborers, and from seasoned truffle veterans to the newbies just starting out, everyone is fixated on the elusive white truffle.
With bright autumn exteriors and warm chiaroscuro interiors, directors Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw create a storybook atmosphere—but at times permeated by a harsh reality. With increasing scarcity due to climate change, toxic rivalries between hunters, and slick traders reaping big profits, there is also a darker side to the story. Nevertheless, truffle fever is infectious, thanks to the finely paced storytelling and the use of every perspective—even the dogs have been fitted with cameras.
A talk will take place along with the screening on the 22nd of November with the directors present.
For more information about the screenings of the movie at the Stockholm Film Festival, please click here.
Production year: 2020
Original title: The Truffle Hunters
Actors: Paulo Stacchin, Piero Botto, Egidio Gagliardi, Carlo Gonella, Sergio Cauda, Aurelio Conterno, Angelo Gagliardi, Maria Cicciù, Gianfranco Curti
Script: –
Producer: Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw
Cinematographer: Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw
Music: Ed Côrtes
Status: Nordic Premiere