Here’s a very impressive indie film production from 2023. La Chimera is written and directed by Alice Rohrwacher and stars British actor Josh O’Connor.

The Italian, Swiss, and French production follows the illegal antics of a British archaeologist turned grave robber in Italy. With some elements of magical realism, it’s an excellent film and captures a sense of time and place very well indeed.

Discovering the Past in La Chimera

Set in 1980, the film opens with Arthur (Josh O’Connor) journeying to a small town on Tyrrhenian Sea. He’s fresh out of English prison, having been arrested for stealing artifacts from graves.

These are the Etruscan tombs, belonging to the Etruscan civilization of ancient Italy.

Arthur is grieving as his girlfriend Beniamina is missing (presumed dead). Upon returning to Italy, he catches up with his girlfriend’s mother Flora (Isabella Rossellini) and is eventually convinced by a local tombaroli (tomb robbing) gang to return to the black market.

Arthur’s behaviour is illegal and he tries his best to evade police, whilst also becoming increasingly dishevelled.

It’s worth a pause here to explain the practice of tombaroli. It’s a real thing in Italy, but not exactly welcome by everyone. Director Rohrwacher has wrapped a considerable amount of unique detail into the film, with intricately detailed and mysterious tombs the gang raids. Many are beautiful and it’s so well shot.

Whilst Arthur goes about his grave robbing, he starts to grow a conscience and become more uncomfortable with what he’s doing. This is particular down to a growing romance he has with Flora’s housemaid Italia (Carol Duarte).

Italia has a strong moral compass and a good sense of innocent fun, especially noted in what is many fan’s favourite scene from the film. This!

Ultimately, La Chimera’s plot arc follows Arthur’s path to a personal redemption. The ending is magical realist and up for debate, its meaning unclear.

Josh O’Connor is brilliant in this role. We first became aware of him due to his small part in the excellent Emma. (2020), where he played a sleazeball priest. But this is a totally different type of performance and flags him up as one of the leading talents for UK actors.

And the director is excellent. The opening few minutes of the film are beautiful, with Arthur on a train as he sweeps through the Italian countryside. The cinematography doesn’t let him, guiding the rest of the magical realist story. Much of the narrative is grounded in reality, but occasional strays into the supernatural (notably with the ending).

Although it may not be for everyone, we argue it’s a fine film, a modern classic, and director Rohrwacher is one to watch.

The Production of Le Chimera

2023 was a hell of a great year for cinema, arguably the best this century. La Chimera was a standout amongst many new modern classics, although its box office run capped out at $5.2 million (a good run given it was a smaller indie project).

Alice Rohrwacher wrote and directed the film. There she is above with O’Conner in his fetching jumper. He bagged the role after persistently contacting her over several years and learned Italian for the role.

Rohrwacher views the film as a trilogy closer with Le Meraviglie (2014) and Lazzaro Felice (2018). This one especially explores human relationships with the past. La Chimera was the first film of the trilogy to include an international cast, with filming lasting between February and August 2022. Italian filming locations included:

• Tuscany
• Lazio
• Umbria
• And some shots in Switzerland

The Asciano-Monte Antico railway line was also used, which is in Southern Tuscany. It operates only as a heritage tourist site, open on select days of the year to the public. As you can see below, it’s ideal for a film shoot looking to recreate a sense of the early 1980s.

La Chimera premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023 and was nominated for the prestigious Palme d’Or (following 137 hours of applause from the Cannes audience).

It got its wider release later into 2024, launching here in the UK from May 2024. Prior to that, in March, the film won the Golden Bee for Best Feature Film at the Manchester Film Festival here in Manchester.

There were no Oscar nominations, but who needs that when you’ve got Mancs behind you? Proper belting.