November 12, 2025
FILM: TRIFOLE
DIRECTED BY: GABRIELE FABBRO
STARRING: YDALIE TURK, UMBERTO ORSINI, MARGHERITA BUY
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Truffle hunting is a big deal in certain countries. It’s almost a sport. I’ve never quite understood it because I’m not a fan of the smell of these hard to find mushrooms. In Trifole, a young woman, Dalia, arrives from London to a rural region in Piedmont, Italy to check on her grandfather Igor whom the family has not heard from in quite some time. Igor mistakes her for Marta, his daughter and thus is clearly struggling with his memory. He spends most of his energies truffle hunting with his dog Birba. He is currently waiting for lightning from Jupiter to go on a hunt and bring his findings to a big local fair. Igor’s days are numbered in his home though as he hasn’t enough money to pay his property costs, rain has been scarce, he’s worried about “being erased,” and land near him in recent decades has been bought for the development of wineries.
Dalia is at a bit of a low point in her own life. Her time in a university was not a success and she’s now feeling lost. Nothing excites her and she needs some new direction in her life. Of course, as one might predict, she begins to take over some of the truffle hunting suggesting she may have found her new path. However, at a climactic moment, that new path leads her to a perhaps even greater existential crisis.
There’s an understandable build up to Dalia’s hunt with Birba but what happens next is pretty significant to the plot but is confusingly depicted. There are a few cuts during a key scene, which I won’t spoil, that don’t really explain their significance. She finds some frescos in what appears to be an abandoned home. There’s an incident with Birba and soon we’re at the big truffle fair filled with women dressed as princesses parading out some major truffle finds. It’s not clear why the filmmaker made a few of these choices but they do effect the tone and the general clarity of the plot.
Ydalie Turk, who plays Dalia, also co-wrote the script with director Gabriele Fabbro. The film is said to be dedicated to the people of the Langhe region who shared their stories which presumably became part of the film. Turk is very good as Dalia, mastering some pretty intense and physically demanding scenes. Also in the film is Umberto Orsini as Igor. The actor, who recently turned 90, has been making films in Italy since the 1950s and clearly has a handle on what Igor is going through at this point in his life.
Birba, the dog, plays Birba. She’s not one of the most expressive dogs we’ve ever seen on film. In fact, she’s often walking around with her tail between her legs. She cuddles beautifully with both Turk and Orsini but won’t be winning any “Best Dog Performance” awards…
Trifole is a beautiful film to look at though. Shots of Piedmont made me yearn for another stroll through small-town Italy, which I’ve had the pleasure to do on more than one occasion. The vast hills of wineries are awe-inspiring to see and the various point of view shots from the perspective of Birba and Dalia bring us up close to the grounds which hide its truffle treasures.
Those that love Italy and/or truffle hunting will likely be quite delighted with the film, even with its few plot holes.
Trifole opens in limited theatrical release this week.
FILM: TRIFOLE
DIRECTED BY: GABRIELE FABBRO
STARRING: YDALIE TURK, UMBERTO ORSINI, MARGHERITA BUY
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Truffle hunting is a big deal in certain countries. It’s almost a sport. I’ve never quite understood it because I’m not a fan of the smell of these hard to find mushrooms. In Trifole, a young woman, Dalia, arrives from London to a rural region in Piedmont, Italy to check on her grandfather Igor whom the family has not heard from in quite some time. Igor mistakes her for Marta, his daughter and thus is clearly struggling with his memory. He spends most of his energies truffle hunting with his dog Birba. He is currently waiting for lightning from Jupiter to go on a hunt and bring his findings to a big local fair. Igor’s days are numbered in his home though as he hasn’t enough money to pay his property costs, rain has been scarce, he’s worried about “being erased,” and land near him in recent decades has been bought for the development of wineries.
Dalia is at a bit of a low point in her own life. Her time in a university was not a success and she’s now feeling lost. Nothing excites her and she needs some new direction in her life. Of course, as one might predict, she begins to take over some of the truffle hunting suggesting she may have found her new path. However, at a climactic moment, that new path leads her to a perhaps even greater existential crisis.
There’s an understandable build up to Dalia’s hunt with Birba but what happens next is pretty significant to the plot but is confusingly depicted. There are a few cuts during a key scene, which I won’t spoil, that don’t really explain their significance. She finds some frescos in what appears to be an abandoned home. There’s an incident with Birba and soon we’re at the big truffle fair filled with women dressed as princesses parading out some major truffle finds. It’s not clear why the filmmaker made a few of these choices but they do effect the tone and the general clarity of the plot.
Ydalie Turk, who plays Dalia, also co-wrote the script with director Gabriele Fabbro. The film is said to be dedicated to the people of the Langhe region who shared their stories which presumably became part of the film. Turk is very good as Dalia, mastering some pretty intense and physically demanding scenes. Also in the film is Umberto Orsini as Igor. The actor, who recently turned 90, has been making films in Italy since the 1950s and clearly has a handle on what Igor is going through at this point in his life.
Birba, the dog, plays Birba. She’s not one of the most expressive dogs we’ve ever seen on film. In fact, she’s often walking around with her tail between her legs. She cuddles beautifully with both Turk and Orsini but won’t be winning any “Best Dog Performance” awards…
Trifole is a beautiful film to look at though. Shots of Piedmont made me yearn for another stroll through small-town Italy, which I’ve had the pleasure to do on more than one occasion. The vast hills of wineries are awe-inspiring to see and the various point of view shots from the perspective of Birba and Dalia bring us up close to the grounds which hide its truffle treasures.
Those that love Italy and/or truffle hunting will likely be quite delighted with the film, even with its few plot holes.
Trifole opens in limited theatrical release this week.