Trailer: ‘The Truffle Hunters’ takes us into a secret world rich with secrets, passion and tradition

One of the most celebrated documentaries of the year, hitting Sundance, Cannes, Telluride, Toronto and New York Film Festivals, Sony Pictures Classics has revealed the trailer for The Truffle Hunters.

Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men, seventy or eighty years young, hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba truffle—which to date has resisted all of modern science’s efforts at cultivation. They’re guided by a secret culture and training passed down through generations, as well as by the noses of their cherished and expertly-trained dogs. They live a simpler, slower way of life, in harmony with their loyal animals and their picture-perfect land, seemingly straight out of a fairy tale. They’re untethered to cell phone screens or the Internet, opting instead to make their food and drink by hand and prioritizing in-person connections and community.

Review: ‘The Truffle Hunters’ digs up one of the year’s most moving films

The demand for white truffles increases year after year, even as the supply decreases. As a result of climate change, deforestation, and the lack of young people taking up the mantle, the truffle hunters’ secrets are more coveted than ever. However, as it soon becomes clear, these ageing men may just hold something much more valuable than even this prized delicacy: the secret to a rich and meaningful life.

The Truffle Hunters is directed, produced and shot by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw and features two of the year’s most eccentric characters in Enrico Crippa and Carlo Gondola.

Sony Pictures Classics will release The Truffle Hunters in theaters on December 25.