The Truffle Hunters” takes viewers deep in the forests of Northern Italy to watch as elderly men and their indispensable dogs participate in the tradition of sniffing out the elusive white Alba truffle. Beloved by gourmet chefs, the truffle’s rarity drives prices sky-high, even as the subjects of the film maintain the old ways of hunting, free of technology, relying on their own memories and a cranky sense of secrecy. Like many who spend hours alone in the woods, their character tends to the eccentric, but to step away from the anxieties of 2020 and spend time in their irascible company is a tonic for the soul, a tranquil visit to a vanishing way of life attuned to nature. Directors Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw paint a loving portrait of the entire ecosystem of truffle hunting, focusing on the hunters but also showing the dealers, auctioneers, and chefs who vie for the choicest truffles.

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