A captivating new fable of spiritual divination, tomb-raiding and romantic adventure from the wonderful Alice Rohrwacher (Happy as Lazzaro, The Wonders), La Chimera is magical and truly unique film bursting with creativity, excitement and pathos. Sometime in the 1980s, young British archaeologist Arthur (a revelatory Josh O’Connor, The Crown) returns to Tuscany after a short stint in prison. Pining for his lost love Beniamina, he visits her mother and his mentor Flora (Isabella Rossellini) and strikes up a bond with her curious maid Italia (Carol Duarte). Wanted for his magical sixth-sense of tomb-detection, Arthur falls back in line with his old crew the Tombaroli, who pose as farmers and entertainers to pilfer the area’s ancient Etruscan tombs, cashing them in to the mysterious antiquity dealer known only as Spartaco.

We love Alice Rohrwacher. Her utterly irresistible, lush fables of buzzing rural communities with tinges of magical realism are some of the most exciting films being made today. La Chimera is no exception, in fact it's one of our favourites! Shot on vibrant 35mm and 16mm film, mixed ingeniously with moments of digital photography, playful silent-era techniques and fourth-wall protrusions, this latest escapade breaks all the rules with an electrifying freshness seldom seen today. Bolstering this is an invigorating cast of theatrical characters, teeming with life in every frame of this delightful film. Since its successful premiere at Cannes, this has been Rohrwacher’s best received film and we’re so glad its getting the attention it deserves.