NYFF 2020: The Truffle Hunters
nyff 2020In the remote woods of Northern Italy stands a group of elderly men who, alongside their dogs, trek out into the woods on the hunt for truffles. These rare mushrooms can bring thousands of dollars on the auction floor, yet these men are more concerned with tradition and enjoying life than making money. The Truffle Hunters offers viewers an open door to this world which turns out to be one of the most genuinely sweet and charming viewing experiences of the year so far.
The concept alone says it all: elderly Italian men going about their lives caring for their dogs is exactly the style of content the world needs right now. It isn't that their lives are not filled with drama and emotion, but rather that the film never lets its darker moments or thoughts define the narrative which constantly circles back to genuinely sweet moments that is enough to suck the audience in and make the film feel captivating, despite a weaker narrative. The film is one of the most genuinely enjoyable viewing experiences of the year so far, capturing genuine emotion and heart that simply cannot be fabricated outside of a documentary setting.
Those actual deeper discussions also touch on some legitimately moving themes and ideas. The Truffle Hunters very casually dances in and out of larger conversations surrounding the turmoil a way of life can experience once it is found that money can be gained from it and outsiders start to push their way in, the acceptance of death both in others and oneself, and the question of what should be valued in any given situation. The film, to a fault, never commits to one of these conversations in order to create a main thesis or direction, but rather lets its subjects naturally give their opinions through what they experience in everyday conversation.
This lack of direction does not equal a lack of craft, however. Specifically in the cinematography, which comes from director/producers Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, the film shows a stunning competence in filmmaking ability. The framing of the shots within The Truffle Hunters resembles more of a narrative feature than that of a documentary. Almost feeling like a Wes Anderson project at times, the film is incredibly precise with how it lines up its shots, finding a visual dialogue between the real world and the audience, which is incredible considering these are not sets crafted by filmmakers. This is a capturing of the real world with an understanding of both the subject material but also the filmmaking language unlike any other. The Northern Italy found within The Truffle Hunters has a life and a voice to it which further seduces the audience into the film's world.
Because of this, the film never drags or feels boring despite its incredibly passive approach of storytelling. The Truffle Hunters easily could be picked apart as an exercise in style over substance, with the film not having too many powerful takeaways to stay in the mind of audiences. As it weaves through various characters and events, those who do not click with the style of the film will immediately feel a disconnect and the film overall lacks the substance to pull these audiences back in. The effectiveness of the meditative storytelling and pacing is going to be the number one thing that determines if audiences will find the experience of watching The Truffle Hunters worthwhile or not.
Whilst the film is undeniably not for everyone and ultimately struggles to make its way into the conversation for Best Documentary of the Year, there is something undeniably charming and rewarding for those audiences who gel with the film's style. The Truffle Hunters is honest, both in roughness and sweetness, creating a film that feels more genuine than anything else.
