Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men, seventy or eighty years old, 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 prioritising in-person connections and community.
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.
“Unique and delightful. A feast for the eyes and nourishment for the soul” - The Hollywood Reporter.
Running time: 84 minutes
Presented in Italian and Piedmontese, with English subtitles.
The feature will be accompanied by short film Beyonds by artist Jane Lawson.
Beyonds works with the inconceivably huge number of spores produced by fungi to take us beyond what we can grasp – beyond our ideas about how things are or could be, what we should tolerate, beyond the false separation between us and the rest of the living world.
Beyonds (8 mins) is part of a trilogy of fungal films in which close contact with fungi takes the viewer:
Inwards, to the gravid dark of the fallow field and the deep midwinter.
Outwards, to the further reaches of spacetime and possibility
Beyond, what we can imagine
Jane is also leading an all-day workshop, Being Fungal, inspired by fungi on Saturday 7th October for UK Fungus Day.
Access
We aim to create safe, welcoming and accessible spaces for all.
Access information for Lucem House:
Wheelchair accessible, with flat access
In a town centre location
Nearest train station St Helens Central (trains to and from Liverpool/Manchester/Blackpool/Wigan)
St Helens Bus Station for buses to Liverpool, Wigan and around St Helens
Nearest accessible parking at St Helens Town Hall and World of Glass (10 minute walk)
Nearest taxi drop off at Corporation Street
Free
