Mandagsfilmen: La Chimera

Tuscany, 1980s. Arthur (played by rising star Josh O'Connor) is a British archaeologist in search of his true love.

His sixth sense for discovering hidden, ancient treasures has led him to Italy. Here, he works with a group of tomb raiders who make quick money by selling the historical objects they find on the black market.

With a delightful 1980s color palette, La Chimera is an adventurous journey between the living and the dead, between romance and capitalism, between revelry and solitude.

The film is inspired by La Grande Razzia, when some Italians began hunting for tombs with buried Etruscan treasures that had remained undisturbed for over 2000 years. However, others considered the objects sacred and were strongly critical of the grave robbing.

Perhaps everyone in the film is searching for something that can never truly be found. Josh O'Connor stars alongside a large ensemble of delightful characters, including Isabella Rossellini as Flora.

La Chimera is a romantic, charming, and lively fable. The kind of film that can make you see the world with entirely new eyes.

This is the fourth feature film by Italian director Alice Rohrwacher. Her previous films both won awards at Cannes, and she has received praise from the likes of Martin Scorsese, Sofia Coppola, and Greta Gerwig. With her new film La Chimera, she once again competed in the main competition at Cannes, reaffirming her place as one of European cinema's leading directors.