"A moving story of faith, loss and family set against the backdrop of a significant moment in Italian history, KIDNAPPED brings Edgardo Mortara’s unforgettable story to life." Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, AWFJ.org
"A full-tilt melodrama with the passionate vehemence of Victor Hugo or Charles Dickens, which lays bare an ugly formative episode of Europe’s Catholic church: an affair of antisemitism and child abuse." - Peter Bradshaw, Guardian
Opens May 31 | In 1858, in the Jewish quarter of Bologna, the Pope’s soldiers burst into the home of the Mortara family. Their target: seven-year-old Edgardo, whose clandestine baptism by his nurse years earlier has triggered a papal decree. According to the uncompromising laws of the Church, Edgardo must be raised under Catholic doctrine. Determined to reclaim their beloved son, Edgardo’s distraught parents embark on a desperate quest, spurred on by the rallying cry of public outcry and the unwavering support of the global Jewish community. In acclaimed Italian filmmaker Marco Bellocchio’s (THE TRAITOR) KIDNAPPED, what begins as a familial struggle swiftly escalates into a political battle, as the Mortaras' plight becomes a symbol of resistance against the entrenched authority of the Church. Film Center exclusive.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress (Barbara Ronchi), Best Supporting Actor (Paolo Pierobon), Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists
Nominee - Palme d'Or, Cannes Film Festival
Nominee - Best Foreign Film, César Awards, France
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu