Kidnapped: The Abduction of Edgardo Mortara

Directed by Marco Bellocchio
Theatrical Release Date May 24, 2024
Run Time 134 min

Now Available

In 1858, in the Jewish quarter of Bologna, the Pope’s soldiers burst into the home of the Mortara family. By order of the cardinal, they have come to take Edgardo, their seven-year-old son. The child had been secretly baptized by his nurse as a baby and the papal law is unquestionable: he must receive a Catholic education. Edgardo’s parents, distraught, will do anything to get their son back. Supported by public opinion and the international Jewish community, the Mortaras’ struggle quickly take a political dimension. But the Church and the Pope will not agree to return the child, to consolidate an increasingly wavering power…

“A powerful and timely commentary.” -Next Best Picture

“A moving story of faith, loss and family” -AWFJ.org

"[A] sensitive and beautifully realized drama." -The Wall Street Journal

"5 stars" -The Guardian

Name Role
Marco Bellocchio Director
Paolo Pierobon Papa Pio IX
Fausto Russo Alesi Momolo Mortara
Barbara Ronchi Marianna Mortara
Enea Sala Edgardo Mortara
Leonardo Maltese Edgardo Mortara (adult)
Filippo Timi Segretario di Stato Antonelli
Fabrizio Gifuni Pier Gaetano Feletti
Country Italy, France, Germany
Original Language Italian, Hebrew
Subtitles English
Run time 134 min
Year Completed 2023
Film Festivals Official Selection, Cannes International Film Festival; Official Selection, New York Film Festival; Official Selection, Mill Valley Film Festival; Official Selection, AFI Fest; Official Selection, Chicago International Film Festival; Official Selection, Middleburg Film Festival; Official Selection, Philadelphia Film Festival
Press Notes