Documentary film “The Truffle Hunters” is compelling whenever it simply observes a number of old guys who happen to be well-experienced truffle hunters operating in the woods of the Northern Italy area. Although the documentary does not give any information on who they are as decidedly sticking to its austere attitude, you will be fascinated with how they work and struggle day by day, and they will leave a lasting impression on you when it is over.

After the sublime opening scene where the camera slowly descends upon a wide forest where one truffle hunter is working along with his dog, the documentary introduces us to several different truffle hunters one by one, and we get to know a bit about how they work season by season. While they all have each own favorite territory for truffle hunting, they always depend on their dogs for detecting those truffles buried under the ground, and we observe how much they are attached to their dogs in one way or another.

When three truffle hunters meet in middle of a forest for having some conversation, they talk a lot about how it is sometimes hard and difficult to find truffles. As you know, truffle is still impossible to cultivate artificially besides being quite rare, and the documentary shows us how truffles are purchased and auctioned at high prices via a couple of wholesalers who look a lot more dapper than those truffle hunters.

Of course, many of truffle hunters are very discreet about where they hunt for truffles. At one point, an old truffle hunter talks with some younger guy, and this younger guy tries really hard to persuade the old truffle hunter to reveal his usual truffle hunting site, but the old truffle hunter adamantly refuses to tell anything. Yes, that truffle hunting site may be hidden forever from others once he dies some time later, but he possibly cannot give up what has been a valuable lifeline for him for many years.

And we also get to know how truffle hunters are usually cautious about the possible danger to their dogs. Due to the considerable competition for hunting truffles, some nasty guys deliberately place poisoned baits here and there in the forest, and one particular scene shows a truffle hunter takes his dog to a guy specializing in dog muzzle. They frankly recognize that the dog will not be comfortable for a while, but this is the best solution for preventing it from getting poisoned.

In case of a very old truffle hunter named Carlo, he is often eager to go outside for hunting truffles with his dog just because he is still alive and well, but that is not approved much by his wife, who wants him to stay more in their house because of her sincere concern. At one point, the camera simply observes their private conversation from the distance, and we come to gather that they have already talked about his retirement more than once.

The most amusing figure in the documentary comes from a retired truffle hunter, who has lots of things to talk and write about to say the least. He often spends his private time in front of a typewriter which looks as old as him, and there is a little funny moment when he harshly rejects an offer from a local wholesaler.

In case of that wholesaler, he has his own matters to deal with. Besides handling frequent negotiations with those truffle hunters, he also has to deal with his fellow wholesalers because they are all fastidious about each own territory just like those truffle hunters. There is a brief but humorous scene where he sincerely apologizes to one of his fellow wholesalers not so pleased about his recent minor business mistake, and I must say that I could not help but think of those classic gangster movies such as, yes, “The Godfather” (1972).

We are also introduced to a quiet old gentleman who occupies a higher echelon of the local truffle industry. We see him getting tested for his olfactory ability (After all, truffle evaluation depends a lot on how it smells), and then the documentary simply shows him savoring slices of truffles sprinkled on a small fried egg at some posh restaurant. The documentary does not seem to make any particular point on this silent moment, but it makes a somber contrast with the following scene which shows a little unfortunate incident involved with a truffle hunter’s dog.

All these and many other scenes are phlegmatically presented on the screen without any comment or explanation, but it is evident that directors/producers Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, who also serve as the cinematographers of the documentary, care and respect those truffle hunters shown in the documentary. I wish the documentary delved more into their daily work and life, but Dweck and Kershaw still did a competent job on the whole, and the documentary often looks terrific with gorgeous landscape shots to admire.

Overall, “The Truffle Hunters” requires some patience from you because of its dry and austere approach to its main subjects, but it is a rewarding experience to be cherished for several good reasons including its close and vivid observation of truffle hunting. Although it does not show any opinion on the truffle industry, I will be reminded of its memorable moments when I come across truffle at a fancy restaurant, and that is a sort of achievement in my inconsequential opinion.