This gorgeously made movie that’s making the rounds on the film festival circuit is a feast for the senses. We recently got a chance to visit with the film’s director, Gabriele Fabbro.
A love letter to Italy with a bittersweet twist
As Trifole opens, viewers aren’t really sure where it’s going. Marta (Margherita Buy) is sent from her rudderless life in London to check up on her grandfather, a famous truffle hunter named Igor. That cantankerous character is played by the esteemed actor Umberto Orsini.
Those two initially rub each other the wrong way, with Igor routinely mistaking his granddaughter for his daughter. Uh-oh. The glue that holds the family together? The adorable Birba, a real-life truffle hunter who was cast for her calm approach to the task of finding those increasingly illusive white truffles in a countryside that’s become overrun by grapevines.
“Birba is famous for being a truffle hunter that doesn’t get in there and dig frantically,” said Fabbro in an interview at the Thompson Hotel’s Lola Rose in Palm Springs.
Film festival favorite Trifole was filmed on location in northern Italy. The project was a true … [+]
How it started…
But back to the beginning of this project. The Milan-born Fabbro grew up in the rural area not far from Lake Como before moving to Los Angeles to attend the New York Film Academy. There he met and bonded with many of the partners in this movie including director of photography, Brandon Lattman.
“This was a very personal project, going back to Italy, meeting the people whose stories we wanted to tell,” he said. The research and production took roughly two years, including an intensive month-long shooting schedule in the fall of 2023.
What the team learned while researching the long-standing tradition of hunting truffles might come off as stranger than fiction. But those scenes of a truffle auction complete with a royal court of truffle princesses? That’s all real.
The family drama is the poignant backdrop to the action, but a storyline that’s relatable. Nonno Igor left on his own has fallen behind on the bills and is frequently confused. Still, he always seems to manage to pull together a fine-looking spread and build a warming fire. As Igor struggles, his canine companion Birba keeps him on task. Those two have the kind of chemistry directors dream about.
“It well known you don’t really direct a dog, but this dog was different,” Fabbro said. “She’s not a film dog, but a famous truffle hunting dog in the region.” And this wasn’t her first rodeo, having appeared in a documentary called “Truffle Hunters.” Fabbro said: “She was the only dog who doesn’t get excited, quietly sniffing. She’s so classy.”
Truffle hunting has become increasingly challenging as rural areas are developed and climate change impacts the already-short season. “It used to be that you’d find them on the ground, but not anymore,” Fabbro said.
That has led to an increase in their value, while it wasn’t long ago truffles weren’t as wildly expensive. “It was some clever marketing,” he said.
For the 28-year-old director, this passion project represented not just a chance to return to Italy, but also to work with one of the country’s most acclaimed actors. He was a bit nervous at first. “I have met so many actors who treat me like a newcomer, but with Umberto Orsini, the process was so collaborative. He was almost like a script supervisor.” Brava!
Trifole stars legendary actor Umberto Orsini, who director Gabrielle Fabbro praised for his … [+]
Not surprisingly, the film is in the running for a Premi David de Donatello, the Italian equivalent of winning an Oscar at the Academy Awards. Here’s hoping that it wins big and the entire cast and crew hit the stage to collect the prize. That means Birba, too, of course.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
