Coming Soon to
Roxy Cinema
Coming Soon to
Roxy Cinema
Presented by The Embassy of Italy in Wellington
Director Marco Bellocchio stirred Cannes with this extraordinary film. A gripping historical drama recounting the true story of a six-year-old Jewish boy, Edgardo Mortara, who was abducted by the Vatican in 1858. From the moment the Pope’s soldiers burst into the Bologna home, we are swept into an enthralling tale. A nursemaid had secretly baptised the child, and under Papal law, Edgardo must receive a Catholic Education. Bellocchio explores historical anti-semitism with an operatic sweep. It is a brilliant study of what happens when human values are abandoned by dogmatic authoritarianism. Sixty years of filmmaking give eighty-three-year-old Bellocchio an assured mastery of a period film with old-school grandeur. The performances are pitch-perfect, ensuring an exceptionally engrossing story. It is an unforgettable story that remained with me long after the lights came up. - Paolo Rotondo
Awards / Premi
Winner / Best Italian Film of the Year, National Film Critics Union.
Nominated / Palm D’Or Cannes Film Festival 2023
Winner / Nastri D’Argento Awards, Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor
Winner / Valladolid International Film Festival, Best Film, Best Screenplay
Winner / Italian Golden Globes. Best Film
A classic in the making - Peter Bradshaw. The Guardian
Kidnapped is as brilliant and revealing as it is masterfully told. This is how ingenious, artistic filmmakers tell stories that must be heard. Through vibrant characters that relive history and uncover its darkest secrets. - Dwight Brown. New York Film Review.