Directed by: Gabriele Fabbro
Written by: Gabriele Fabbro and Ydalie Turk
Starring: Ydalie Turk, Umberto Orsini, and Margherita Buy
Runtime: 95 minutes
Search for ‘Trifole’, a truffle-hunting arthouse gem
Dalia (Ydalie Turk) steps off a train and then treks in the open, rolling hills of Piedmont, Italy, located in the northwest corner of the country.
This city girl, living in London, is in her 20s, has long red hair, and sports a fashionable jacket, bag, and boots, but she muddies the latter just before reaching her grandfather’s house, which foreshadows future cloudy moments. Her Grandpa Igor (Umberto Orsini) lives with his trusty dog, Birba (an absolute cutie), in a two-story yellow abode adjacent to acres of wineries.
This frustrated, aging truffle hunter unfortunately has bouts of dementia, including hollering at absolutely no one in the nearby woods. Still, Igor doesn’t think he’s mad. He simply hopes for a much-needed rain and to find ample truffles with Birba. However, he needs full-time care, and to make matters worse, the bank is ready to evict him because he missed several mortgage payments.
Reluctantly, Dalia is here to help her granddad, via her mother’s (Margherita Buy) wishes, but the sudden change of urban-to-rural scenery and Igor’s knowledge of his treasured craft may result in an adventure.
Set in the present day, director/co-writer Gabriele Fabbro’s poetic and frank drama, “Trifole”, explores Igor’s sacred ritual, and he passes it down to a new generation, whether the young heroine is prepared or not.
Accompanied by composer Alberto Mandarini’s lovely string-based score, we follow Dalia’s journey, a physical one as she hikes across the forest, but it’s also a trip to overcome her perceived shortcomings. Fabbro and Turk (who co-wrote the script) include a brief but telling first-act scene in which Igor displays absolute clarity and calls out Dalia’s vulnerabilities.
Meanwhile, Dalia may live in a metropolis, but she doesn’t have all the answers, and this brief, poignant exchange between the generations precisely defines – from a storytelling perspective - the internal demons that she could potentially slay while staying in the Langhe region of Piedmont.
The upstart Turk and senior Orsini share palatable, tension-filled chemistry, where Dalia struggles to drum up enough altruism to care for Igor, who will snap or criticize without warning, in between moments of levity. Certainly, the on-screen kin earn our sympathy when Dalia serves Igor breakfast just before he explodes in an upsetting episode.
Fabbro and cinematographer Brandon Lattman share closer quarters with Dalia and Igor in the home, as this odd couple has nowhere to hide from one another. When she roams outside in search of truffles, Fabbro and Lattman often keep their camera’s focus on ground level, which doesn’t elicit the same feelings of claustrophobia. Instead, Dalia and Birba’s strides in a strange land speak to novelty, anonymity, and isolation. Then again, the camera lifts at times to marvel at the rolling hillocks, woodsy scenery, and a peaceful river.
Then again, just when you think that the 95-minute “Trifole” relies on the actors’ natural gifts and leans on the on-location beauty, Fabbro and the sound department’s Francesco Piazza construct a staggering surprise that will remain with audiences for days, weeks, months, or pick your timeframe.
If one has never found the time to learn about truffle hunting, catch Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw’s documentary “The Truffle Hunters” (2020) for an organic education about the pastime in this specific Italian region, possibly as homework before watching this film.
Or simply first search for “Trifole”, an arthouse gem.
Jeff’s ranking
3/4 stars
