Alice Rohrwacher's La Chimera and the Breath of Italian Auteur Cinema

Translated by Michela Scappaticci

We are really lucky to see that in just a few weeks Paola Cortellesi and Alice Rohrwacher have presented us with two great films. They both show two very accurate glimpses of an Italian society that has just passed by, making us reflect with an eye on issues that are still relevant today.

Italian director Alice Rohrwacher's new film, 'La Chimera,' starring British actor Josh O'Connor, in a film set in the 1980s in the 'upstairs-downstairs' world of  'tomb-robbers' and Etruscan treasure-thieves. Arthur is a young Englishman with a unique gift. He is able to find out with extreme precision where these historical artefacts are located underground.

The director, who is already internationally renowned thanks to her participation in the Cannes Film Festival and the awards she won with 'Le Meraviglie' in 2014 and 'Lazzaro Felice' in 2018, is the epitome of the distinctive and sophisticated style of Italian auteur cinema, also known as ‘Cinema d’Autore’. This once again demonstrates the beauty and genius of our fellow citizens who reach audiences around the world, even if they still don’t get to the blockbusters in terms of box office.

Despite its Italian setting, 'La Chimera' features an English protagonist, already known to audiences worldwide for his role as the young Charles in the series 'The Crown'. The production's multicultural witness and approach reflect the increasing globalisation of auteur cinema and highlight the story's international relevance, given the film's distribution in 76 countries.

The film and its success abroad currently face challenges in the Italian film industry, where auteur films often suffer from limited distribution. To fix the problem, Rohrwacher and O'Connor, in a joking video, complain about the limited number of cinemas where the movie is shown and urge viewers to actively seek it out in local ones. The video went viral and immediately diverted attention, leading to an increase in projections from 76 initial cinemas to 105 during the third weekend.

Film distribution has remained a point of contention in the Italian film industry despite its success in major cities. Indeed, auteur films are often characterised by complex plots and distinctive styles and have to struggle to attract the wider audience necessary for large-scale distribution. This challenge is reflected in the film's budget of 9.5 million, placing it among the most expensive productions of the year.

Comparisons with other Italian films presented at Cannes, such as Marco Bellocchio's 'Rapito' and Nanni Moretti's 'Il Sol dell'Avvenire', highlight the unique nature of the distribution and audience surrounding Alice Rohrwacher's films. Her well-established reputation in the international auteur film scene continues to attract high calibre actors and significant funding, despite the challenges of local distribution.

In a cinema industry where blockbusters dominate the box office, 'La Chimera' represents a success for auteur films, proving that - even with limited resources - an engaging story and strong community support can lead to success and an increase in the number of cinema screenings. Italian audiences, encouraged by the director and cast, show that the passion for auteur cinema is alive and ready to challenge distribution conventions to embrace unique and meaningful stories.

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