Written by Zoe Crombie

In terms of upcoming directors, Alice Rohrwacher is certainly one to watch. A working filmmaker since 2006 who has recently garnered greater attention, she has been described by Parasite director Bong Joon-ho as creating ‘mesmerising fairy tales’, blurring the lines between realism and the fantastic. Interestingly, her latest film showcases a fellow star on the rise: Josh O’Connor, the Challengers star who initially came to prominence through British TV roles like Lawrence in The Durrells and Charles in The Crown.

Together, the pair gained the chance to weave some real magic with Rohrwacher’s latest work La chimera, a dramedy that follows O’Connor as a young archaeologist who becomes embroiled in an international network trading stolen artifacts. This is a film completely steeped in Rohrwacher’s home nation of Italy, with her distinctive and exciting directorial style breathing fresh life into a plot dependent on the ancient and forgotten. As the Brit at its Italian centre, O’Connor is appropriately droll and dry, following on from a similarly cheeky performance in Challengers – this duo of roles is sure to cement him as a critical favourite in years to come.

La chimera, as many other critics have said, is a fantastic piece of lovingly constructed chaos, as well as a compelling love story and a gorgeous slice of Italian cinema. This is

definitely another feather in Rohrwacher’s already impressive cap, and another stepping stone on Josh O’Connor’s path to stardom.

La Chimera runs from 1st - 6th June

Tickets & Showtimes: https://dukeslancaster.org/wha...