Believe it or not, last year’s Cannes was the place for two movies built around treasure seekers. Of course, the one we all remember was the world premiere of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, such as it was. But the other, lesser-known film was the one that competed for the Palme d’Or; Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera, and the trailer for it has just arrived.
Starring Josh O’Connor, Carol Duarte, Alba Rohrwacher, and Isabella Rossellini, La Chimera centers on a group of archaeologists, grave robbers, and thieves on a quest for riches and redemption, and even a lost soulmate.
Rorhwacher has earned many accolades in her career, including the Grand Prix at Cannes for The Wonders. Her previous film, the live-action short Le pupille was an Oscar nominee in 2022.
Here’s the synopsis: Everyone has their own Chimera, something they try to achieve but never manage to find. For the band of tombaroli, thieves of ancient grave goods and archaeological wonders, the Chimera means redemption from work and the dream of easy wealth. For Arthur, the Chimera looks like the woman he lost, Beniamina. To find her, Arthur challenges the invisible, searches everywhere, goand es inside the earth – in search of the door to the afterlife of which myths speak. In an adventurous journey between the living and the dead, between forests and cities, between celebrations and solitudes, the intertwined destinies of these characters unfold, all in search of the Chimera.
NEON plans to release La Chimera in theaters on March 29th.