Movie Review -- The Truffle Hunters

        In this post, I would like to review a movie I watched recently called "The Truffle Hunters".  You might be wondering why I am reviewing a movie with this title since my reviews are usually only on dog, cat, animal and theology books and films. Well, this documentary is about men who have a passion for hunting truffles, and it is about the dogs who help them. 

      "The Truffle Hunters" is set in the Italian Alps region. It follows various truffle hunters and a couple of truffle buyers. The men featured in this documentary are all older, but they have a lot of energy. They have a great love for the dogs who make their truffle hunting possible. In one scene, you will see a man who takes a bath with his favorite dog. This is a very humorous scene. One man has a wife who desperately wants him to stop going out with his dog at night to hunt truffles, but the man goes out anyway. The local priest even says a blessing for the man and his dog. In another scene, the priest tells him that since he is such a great truffle hunter, God will let him hunt truffles in the world to come. 

     The part of the documentary that I enjoyed the most was when the focus was on a truffle hunter who had a dog named Birba. He really loved this dog. He knew that he was getting older, and he told Birba that he was going to find a woman to marry so that when he died Birba would be taken care of. Later in the film, he tells Birba that he doesn't need a woman, he has Birba. He has birthday parties for Birba and lets her eat out of her own bowl on top of the kitchen table. 

     I highly recommend this movie. It is interesting on two levels. The information about truffle hunting is great, but the friendship displayed between man and dog is what I enjoyed the most. 

    There is one thing I need to let some of you know. There is a part of the film were one man uses several profanities. If that would bother you, skip over that part. Otherwise, watch this film and enjoy it. It is one of the best man and dog friendship films I've ever watched.