drama, Gabriele Fabbro, Italy, Margherita Buy, movies, Palm Springs International Film Festival, reviews, Trifole, Umberto Orsini, Ydalie Turk
November 17, 2025
by Carla Hay
Directed by Gabriele Fabbro
Italian with subtitles
Culture Representation: Taking place in Italy, primarily in the city of Langhe, the dramatic film “Trifole” features an all-white cast of characters representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.
Culture Clash: An elderly truffle hunter, who has dementia and defaulted mortgage on his house, gets an unexpected visit from his London-based, 28-year-old granddaughter, and their reunion starts off as rocky and turns into something meaningful.
Culture Audience: “Trifole” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the movie’s headliners and dramas about family members who reconnect during hard times.
“Trifole” is a lovely and bittersweet drama about how an elderly truffle hunter with dementia has a reunion with his 28-year-old granddaughter, as he faces a housing crisis. The performances and cinematography are wonderful, despite a few erratic fever-dream scenes. “Trifole” requires patience from viewers because the first third of the movie starts out slowly. But once the movie gets going to the main part of the story, it’s a roller-coaster ride of emotions.
Directed by Gabriele Fabbro (who co-wrote the “Trifole” screenplay with Ydalie Turk), “Trifole” takes place primarily in the city of Langhe, in Italy’s Piedmont region. “The word “tartufo” is Italian for truffle, but the Piedmontese dialect pronounces the word truffle as “trifola.” The title of the movie is an offshoot of “trifola.” After being released in Italy in October 2024, “Trifole” had its international premiere at the 2025 Palm Springs International Film Festival and later screened at the 2025 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
“Trifole” begins by showing a 28-year-old woman named Dalia (played by “Trifole” co-writer Turk) arriving from London to Langhe. She is showing up unannounced to the home of her elderly grandfather Igor Bianco (played by Umberto Orsini), who lives in a rural part of Langhe, near some woods that are known to a prime growing area for truffles. Dalia has made this trip because her worried mother Marta (played Margherita Buy), who is Igor’s daughter, asked Dalia to check up on Igor, who hasn’t been heard from in several weeks.
Igor was a very well-known truffle hunter when he was younger. But now, he is in failing health and has dementia. He lives in a cozy but ramshackle rustic house with no electricity and no central heating. Dalia finds out when she goes to Igor’s house and immediately sees that he is forgetful and sometimes disoriented. Igor often mistakes Dalia for Marta. And he says he can’t remember where his phone is, which is why he couldn’t be reached by phone.
Before Dalia arrived, Igor’s only companion was his loyal female dog Birba, a Lagotto Romagnolo, which is a dog breed that is known to be excellent truffle hunters. (In real life, the dog’s name really is Birba, and she is truffle-hunting dog who was in the excellent documentary “The Truffle Hunters,” which made the rounds at several film festivals in 2020, before being released in 2021.) In many ways, the absolutely adorable and intelligent Birba is a scene stealer.
Dalia and Marta communicate through phone video chats, although it is sometimes difficult for Dalia to get phone reception in this part of Langhe. Dalia knows Italian, but it isn’t her first language, and she’s not completely fluent in Italian. She knows enough Italian to communicate with Igor, who does not speak English.
Dalia quickly finds out that Igor is set in his ways and is comfortable living alone. At first, Igor resents Dalia being there because he says he can take care of himself and doesn’t need a caregiver. Igor admits that he’s feeling depressed because he hasn’t been able to find any truffles for months because of a rain drought.
Not long after Dalia arrives, Igor gets an eviction notice in the mail. Dalia has Marta read the letter to her over the phone. It’s how Dalia finds out that Igor stopped paying his house mortgage several months ago. He currently owes the mortgage lender €45,000, which is money that he and his family don’t have. Even though Igor has been cranky and difficult with Dalia, she has grown fond of him and is genuinely upset when Marta tells Dalia that because of Igor’s dementia, they have no choice but to put him in a nursing home.
During this bleak period of time, Dalia offers to help Igor with his truffle hunting. Igor is still holding out hope that he will find a truffle-rich area, nicknamed Jupiter, in the woods. Jupiter has become an elusive place to find and has become almost mythical.
At first, Igor refuses to let Dalia accompany him on his truffle-hunting excursions because he sees her hands and thinks her hands are too soft. Igor also tells Dalia that he has truffle-hunting secrets that he doesn’t want to share with anyone. But gradually, Igor changes his mind and takes Dalia with him when he goes truffle hunting.
Igor’s change of heart happens after Dalia opens up to Igor about feeling like a failure because she dropped out of college a number of years ago. She studied literature in college, but now Dalia says she feels empty, adrift and unsure of what her purpose is in life. Igor comforts her by saying, “You’re not fine, but you will be.” He then confides in her that he feels like an outcast in the community because he’s perceived as a mentally ill old man.
After Dalia and Igor become closer to each other, two things happen that change the course of the story: First, Igor falls down in the woods and injures a leg while truffle hunting with Dalia. Second, the drought ends with a rainstorm, which re-ignites hope that new truffles will grow. What happens next won’t be revealed in this review, but it’s an unpredictable ride that will keep viewers riveted if viewers are curious to see what will happen to Igor and Dalia in this story.
In many ways, “Trifole” is movie that is quiet when it comes to dialogue, because much of the story is centered on the relationship that evolves between Dalia and Igor, as they live in isolation. But the movie’s visuals and events speak loudly and give the story an immersive feel, as if you’re experiencing everything with Dalia and Igor. The story takes place during autumn, so there are many gorgeous and scenic shots of the Italian countryside that will make viewers want to visit this part of the world.
“Trifole” also shows the business side of truffle hunting, with some scenes taking place at truffle fairs and a high-profile truffle auction. Something major happens that takes the story in a tension-filled direction, although the editing shortcuts taken in this plot development might confuse or annoy viewers. Turk and Orsini, who have the most screen time in the movie, give admirable and convincing performances as Dalia and Igor. “Trifole” is about more than truffle hunting because this memorable film is ultimately about finding comfort in family love, in ways that might be unexpected.
Cohen Media Group released “Trifole” in select U.S. cinemas on November 14, 2025. The movie was released in Italy on October 17, 2024.