Alice Rohrwacher’s latest film is about an archaeologist who spends his days digging up Etruscan tombs and his nights haunted by the ghost of his ex-girlfriend. And you thought your breakup was bad. Imagine being so hung up on someone that you turn grave robbing into a full-time job just to feel close to them. Well, Arthur’s not exactly a role model.
But he is relatable. Who hasn’t been stuck in the past? Who hasn’t looked up an ex on Facebook, only to realize they married someone who looks like a failed influencer? Arthur just takes it to the next level—digging through ancient tombs in Tuscany, hoping to find something, anything, to fill the void left by Beniamina, his lost love.
And no, he’s not a grave robber because he’s a bad person. He’s just spectacularly bad at moving on. Which is a lesson for all of us. If you’re stuck in a dead-end job or hung up on that promotion you didn’t get five years ago, Arthur’s your guy. He’s proof that the past is a terrible place to live—especially if it involves ancient ghosts and stolen pottery.
La Chimera follows Arthur (played by Josh O’Connor, who perfects the look of a man who hasn’t slept in months), an English archaeologist with a gift for finding buried artifacts using nothing but a dowsing rod and some seriously unresolved feelings. He’s recently been released from an Italian prison (long story, but grave robbing isn’t exactly legal), and he’s taken up with a group of singing tomb raiders who dig up Etruscan relics to sell on the black market. It’s like Indiana Jones meets Trainspotting, but with more dirt and existential dread.
Arthur isn’t in it for the money. He’s in it for Beniamina, the love of his life who’s either dead or just really, really good at hiding. He digs because he believes, somehow, he’ll find her again. And that’s the tragedy. He’s stuck chasing ghosts, surrounded by a ragtag band of misfits who are just trying to survive. They live in shantytowns, sing for tips, and spend their nights digging up the past—both literally and metaphorically.
Rohrwacher paints a vivid picture of 1980s Tuscany, where the past is everywhere. The locals all know the dirty secret: every artifact in every museum was stolen from someone’s grave. There’s no such thing as “priceless” when everything has a price. It’s a hauntingly beautiful exploration of loss, memory, and why we just can’t seem to let go of what’s gone.
Is There a Love Story? Sort Of.
Arthur meets Italia (Carol Duarte), a woman who’s just as lost as he is, but in a different way. She’s an outsider, a single mother hiding her children in the crumbling mansion of Flora (Isabella Rossellini), who’s convinced Beniamina will one day return. Italia and Arthur connect, but he’s of course too wrapped up in his past to build anything new. He’s got one foot in the grave, and the other stuck in a memory.
And that’s the brilliance of La Chimera. It’s about people who can’t move on, who live among ghosts because it’s easier than facing the present. It’s funny, tragic, and somehow magical, like a memory you can’t quite shake. If you’ve ever been stuck—whether in a job, a relationship, or just in your own head—this film will hit home.
3 Career Lessons from La Chimera
1. Stop Digging Up the Past (Especially If It’s Dead):
Arthur spends his days literally digging up the past, hoping it’ll give him some kind of closure. Spoiler: it doesn’t. If you’re constantly looking back—at a missed opportunity, a job you didn’t get, or that one time you embarrassed yourself in front of the CEO—you’ll end up stuck. Learn from it, then bury it. And don’t dig it up again.
2. Your Talent Is Useless If You’re Digging in the Wrong Place:
Arthur is a genius at finding ancient artifacts, but he uses his gift to rob graves and live in a shack. Meanwhile, his colleagues from university are probably tenured professors. Your talent is only as valuable as where you use it. If you’re in the wrong industry or stuck in a toxic work environment, no amount of brilliance will get you where you want to go.
3. Let Go Before It Buries You:
Arthur’s obsession with Beniamina keeps him digging, even when it’s ruining his life. We’ve all got something we’re holding onto—an idea of who we should be, a career path that didn’t work out, a mistake we can’t let go of. But if you keep carrying it, it’ll bury you. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is let go.
Feeling stuck? Haunted by the past? Need to let go of that career that’s not serving you anymore?
Unidelics Coaching is all about helping people stop digging up old graves and start building new futures. Let’s turn your obsession into opportunity.
👉 Book a free consultation and learn how to break free from your past, adapt to change, and build a career you actually want.
Because unlike Arthur, you can live in the present. Ghost-free.
