"Carlo, Carlo, Carlo." (The call of Carlo Gondola's wife that can be heard each evening after his fossick for Truffle, she worries about her husband disappearing into the forest).
Last year it was Honeyland, this year it will most definitely be The Truffle Hunters. Both films tell, in less than 90 minutes, separate tales about ancient traditions of gathering much sought after resources (honey and truffle) using simple methods by likeable, earthy people lacking any form of swagger. And yes, it's the people plus their dogs parallelling their simple lives that holds our attention.
We meet Piero, Sergio, Aurelio, Enrico and Carlo. All are heavily invested in the world wide truffle industry. So, what heavyweight technology will they need to extract the highly sought after White Alba Truffle from the PiedmontForest region of Italy; their home surrounds? None. Their dogs are their tools of trade and as loveable on screen as their owners. The film is delightfully meditative.
Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw made The Last Race, a brilliant fly on the wall doco on Long Island's last stock car track and the pressure being placed on the proprietors to give in to the circling sharks (Real Estatedevelopers)! They have a perceptive eye for capturing the human spirit in all its resilience. But if you're the type who craves a voiceover to explain, in linear terms, what's happening, then Truffle may not be for you. Then again if you are willing to give the "fly on the wall" style a chance then you won't do better than The Truffle Hunters. 10GUMS.
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