Alice Rohrwacher on Working With ‘The Crown’ Star Josh O’Connor

Alice Rohrwacher is within the Cannes competitors for the third time with “La Chimera,” by which “The Crown” star Josh O’Connor performs a younger British archeologist named Arthur who will get concerned in a world community of stolen Etruscan artifacts through the Eighties.

For Rohrwacher, the movie is related to rising up in Umbria, as soon as the middle of the Etruscan civilization. But it’s additionally the ultimate piece of a triptych on a territory that she began along with her earlier Cannes entries: “The Wonders” and “Happy as Lazzaro.” Three works that, as she has put it, pose a central query: “What to do with the past?”  

Also starring in “La Chimera,” which might be loosely translated as “The Unrealizable Dream,” are Isabella Rossellini as a retired opera singer; Brazil’s Carol Duarte (“The Invisible Life”) as non-Italian girl who intersects with Arthur; Alba Rohrwacher as a world artifacts trafficker; and Vincenzo Nemolato (“Martin Eden”), who performs one of many “tombaroli” — actually “grave robbers” — as artifacts thieves are identified in Italy. Produced — as all of Rohrwacher’s earlier movies, by Carlo Cresto-Dina — “La Chimera,” which bows in Cannes on May 26, is being bought by the Match Factory and will probably be launched by Neon within the U.S. 

Rohrwacher spoke to Variety in regards to the many layers of “La Chimera” and why she shot it in three totally different movie codecs.

How did the story germinate?

The essential theme of the movie are the tombaroli, although there are many threads and layers. It’s like a tapestry. But the most important thread is the artifact thieves who’ve accompanied me all through my life. The epic of my territory is the epic of the hidden treasure as a result of I stay in Umbria. Because everybody right here, after I was youthful, would inform tales [like], “That guy found a vase and sold it in Switzerland.” We knew that males at evening would go digging. I discovered this so wonderful. Not a lot as a result of it was unlawful, however as a result of they have been going towards one thing sacred: they have been opening graves. This double facet: the violation of an archeological artifact in a grave — not simply as property of the state, however as one thing that was made to stay hidden — all the time amazed me. I’d suppose, “Where do they find the courage to do this?” But speaking to them, I understood that they needed to sever their ties with the previous.

How did you direct Josh O’Connor? I feel it’s the primary time you’ve forged a world star of this caliber within the lead position?

Josh is a really beneficiant particular person, moreover being an amazing actor. He made an enormous effort to study Italian and spent numerous time with the tombaroli and established a rapport with them. It’s been an amazing skilled and human discovery for me. He actually delved into the character of Arthur. During the summer season section of the movie he selected to stay in a van as a result of he needed to stay in Arthur’s shed to actually really feel this character. He is absolutely obsessed with pottery, in order that they means he touched historic Etruscan pottery and different objects was very important.

How did you forged O’Connor?

I had written a primary model of the movie based mostly on an older character. But he wrote me, after seeing “Happy as Lazzaro.” When we met I noticed Arthur. I believed it may solely be him. So I requested him: “If I rewrite the film, changing his age, will you come on board?” And he mentioned sure.

Working together with your common DOP Hélène Louvart you shot in three several types of codecs: 35mm, Super 16mm and common 16mm. Talk to me about this alternative.

I feel it’s a vital alternative, whether or not the viewer realizes it or not. 35mm permits the viewer to enter the scene, like an illustration. It means that you can see extra particulars, whereas Super 16 synthetizes, and particulars are much less necessary than the general picture. But then through the shoot we additionally had an novice 16mm digital camera. During my earlier shoots it all the time occurred that one thing occurred and I needed to seize it. But we by no means managed. This time I needed to be lighter. I needed to take visible notes with a small digital camera so as to add this lightness to the movie.

Watch Trailer Here