CC | MJFF, "Kidnapped"
Description
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 8:30pm
(FAN members & guests should arrive by 8pm)
Miami Theater Center
9806 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33138
ITALY-FRANCE-GERMANY | 134 MINUTES | 2023
SOUTHEAST US PREMIERE
The latest masterpiece by legendary Italian director Marco Bellocchio is a grand, historical fresco depicting the scandalous true story of a young Jewish child who, in mid-19th century Bologna, was abducted from his family by the church under the Pope’s orders. The indefatigable Italian filmmaking legend Marco Bellocchio has never been one to shy away from controversial topics, particularly while probing his country’s storied past.
Kidnapped, Bellocchio's latest and possibly final film, is inspired by the true story of Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish child who was abducted from his family by the church under the Pope’s orders in 1858 Bologna. The six-year-old boy was allegedly baptized in secret as a baby by the family’s maid who feared for his soul should he succumb to illness and die Jewish; pontifical law thus demanded he be raised a Catholic. With operatic intensity and Bellocchio’s singular precision, the film follows the harrowing fight of Mortara’s parents to have their son returned, their unrelenting confrontation with the Vatican quickly garnering support and eliciting outrage from the international Jewish community and Italian liberals.
Telling a story so rich and complex it was once pursued by Steven Spielberg, Bellocchio’s Kidnapped is as much an outright critique of Pope Pius IX as it is an exploration of Edgardo’s wracking existential contradictions as an adult. Awash in painterly chiaroscuro, nodding to the masterworks of Caravaggio and Delacroix, the film uses light and shadow to convey the tenebrous, baroque drama of the events — whether Edgardo’s inner turmoil or the country’s momentous unrest as it marched toward unification.
AWARDS
Cannes Film Festival
DIRECTOR'S BIO
Marco Bellocchio was born in Piacenza, Italy. He began studying philosophy at the Catholic University of Milan but then decided to enter film school. His feature debut Fists in the Pocket was awarded at the 1965 Locarno Film Festival and gave him recognition all over the world. In 2011, he received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival. Since then, numerous retrospectives of his works have been held around the world, including in New York, La Rochelle, and London.
CAST AND CREDITS
DIRECTOR Marco Bellocchio
SCREENWRITERS Marco Bellocchio, Susanna Nicchiarelli
CINEMATOGRAPHER Francesco Di Giacomo
EDITORS Francesca Calvelli, Stefano Mariotti
CAST Paolo Pierobon, Fausto Russo Alesi, Barbara Ronchi
FILM INFO
YEAR 2023
COUNTRY Italy-France-Germany
RUN-TIME 134 minutes
LANGUAGES Italian and Hebrew with English subtitles
PRINT SOURCE Cohen Media
RSVP to your FAN Hosts by January 22, so they can reserve seats:
Sydney Carpel: 305-785-4935, sydcarpel@aol.com
Marie Lippman: mlippman1021@msn.com
PARKING
Street parking and all municipal lots are free.
TICKETS
Everyone should reserve an advance ticket ASAP by visiting:
https://bit.ly/fan-event-kidnapped
GUESTS
Are welcome. Please include their name and contact information with your RSVP.
MEAL
FAN is not planning a group pre- or post-performance gathering, but there are several restaurants in the neighborhood if you want to plan dinner beforehand.