La Chimera

"Rorwacher refers to her new film as the conclusion of a trilogy that began with 'Miracles' and 'Happy as Lazarus.' The third, 'Chimera,' follows a young man who enters an imaginary world once inhabited by the Etruscans. Arthur, a British archaeologist, possesses a special intuition that allows him to sense the location of an as-yet-undiscovered tomb containing ancient artifacts. Like rural artisans searching for a spot to dig a well using a divining rod, he wanders through fields and forests until he finds the right place. His partners in crime—tomb raiders or 'tombaroli'—exploit this gift.

The cinematic culture inherited by Alice Rorwacher, both formally and thematically, is what is referred to as a chimera in the title. However, everyone has their own. Arthur's chimera is his deceased beloved, whom he irrationally hopes to meet again. The tomb raiders' chimera is a life enjoyed by excavating treasures from under the ground. Finally, the countless invisible chimeras are the spirits and souls of the deceased, carelessly plundered by grave robbers without considering the consequences. After all, the main theme of this light-as-air film is death." Anton Dolin, "Meduza "

🏆 Awarded by the French Association of Cinematic Arts at Cannes