La Chimera15

Directed by Alice Rohrwacher | Italy | 2023 | 2h 11m | Italian w/ English subtitles | Starring Josh O’Connor, Isabella Rossellini, Carol Duarte, Vincenzo Nemolato, Alba Rohrwacher

In 1980s Tuscany, English archaeologist Arthur joins a motley crew of tomb raiders who search for Etruscan artefacts to peddle on the black market. Arthur appears to possess a gift for sensing valuable items buried beneath the earth, a talent which also allows him to connect with his personal history as well as the ghosts of antiquity. British actor Josh O’Connor (Challengers, The Crown) gives a magnificent lead performance in Alice Rohrwacher’s (Happy As Lazzaro) enchanting, metaphysical folk tale of lost love and the conflict between ancient history and the present.

Reviews

‘It stirs up a fierce protectiveness in the viewer. Treasure this now, hold it, turn it, and examine it from all sides, or it may slip beyond your grasp.’
★★★★★
Clarisse Loughery, The Independent

‘Not just great, but expansive: it shows new ways a movie can be.’
★★★★★
Esme Holden, Little White Lies

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed La Chimera between May 31, 2024 and June 13, 2024.

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What else is on?

Tomorrow (Tuesday 19th May)

17:30

The North 15
£6 for Members
2h 13m | Dutch w/ English subtitles
Reuniting after a decade, friends Chris and Lluis undertake a 600km hike across the Scottish Highlands. Shot in sequence, their journey along remote trails becomes a powerful study of friendship and the emotional terrain between reconciliation and self-discovery.

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20:30

The Stranger 15
£6 for Members
2h 2m | French w/ English subtitles
Set in French Algeria, Meursault drifts through life until his mother’s death sparks judgment, conflict, and tragedy. François Ozon’s sensitive, queer-inflected adaptation illuminates the emotional and moral complexities at the heart of Albert Camus’s existential masterpiece.

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Wednesday 20th May

15:00

Colours of Time 15
2h 6m | French w/ English subtitles
When cousins inherit a Normandy house, they uncover a hidden lineage linking them to ancestor Adèle Munier. As they retrace her journey to Paris amid Impressionism’s rise, past and present intertwine, revealing new identities and unexpected connections across generations.

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17:45

Rose of Nevada 15
1h 54m
When a long-lost fishing boat returns to a Cornish village, hope rises for renewal. Nick and newcomer Liam join a voyage, but return transformed and caught in a haunting time loop. Shot on grainy 16mm, Mark Jenkin (Bait) delivers a haunting, mind-bending folktale.

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20:30

Who Are You, Polly Maggoo? 18
1h 42m | French w/ English subtitles
Supermodel Polly Maggoo navigates relentless media attention as a documentary crew attempts to capture her life. William Klein’s witty satire dismantles fashion and fame, revealing an absurd world where modern identity is constructed, consumed, and endlessly performed.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!