TO one year after the presentation of Night exterior on the Moro case, Mark Bellocchio return to Cannes Film Festival with Kidnappedamong the Italian films in competition together with The chimera by Alice Rohrwacher e The sun of the future by Nanni Moretti. The director of Fists in the pocket digs again into the past, this time it leads in 1858 to Bologna, to a Jewish family from which one of their children is taken away at the behest of the Pope.
The case of the Mortaras becomes a story that crosses the Italian border, reaches London and New York, baffling the world and the Jewish community that tries to bring back the little Edgardo, who was then six years old, in the arms of her parents and siblings. A vain battle.
Kidnapped by Marco Bellocchio: the plot
The title of the new film by Mark Bellocchio (in cinemas from May 25) refers to the kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara which took place in 1858 in Bologna. Mamolo (Fausto Russo Alesi) and Marianne (Barbara Ronchifresh from the recent David di Donatello for September) are Jewish and have many children, including Edgardo, six years old. One day, by order of Pope Pius IX (Paolo Pierobonin an excellent interpretation) and by the hand of the inquisitor Pier Gaetano Felletti (Fabrizio Gifuni), it is ordered to snatch the little one from that family. Why?
The child, is said to have been baptized in secret, and, according to canon law must follow Catholic indoctrination. From Bologna the little one is brought to Rome by the pope Pius IX. The separation with the parents is dramatic, the news goes around the world and the Jewish community tries to support the Mortar. They will also be received by the Pope, but their requests to release the child are snubbed. Pius IX remains anchored to the principles of the Christian faith: «I am the Pope and I have to answer only to God». The child will later meet his parents, but his freedom was violated that ignoble day of 1858 by the last Pope King.
The story of KidnappedSteven Spielberg and the letter to Pope Francis
The story of Kidnappedwhich refers to the book The Mortar case by Daniel Scalisehad also hit Steven Spielberg, to such an extent that several years ago he came to Italy to scout locations for the film. However, the production stalled because the director of Schindler’s List he could not find a child to play the kidnapped child.
Looker take advantage of the stop by Spielberg to throw himself into a project that he feels in his heart. The religious aspect had already touched him ne Religion time and returns to it by investigating a historical case e focusing on the figure of a tyrannical and ruthless Pope, who acts in the name of his law.
The cast of “Kidnapped”. (Photo Anna Camerlingo)
“I wrote a letter to Pope francesco – Bellocchio says in Cannes – I hope he wants to see the film, he has many much more important things to do, but who knows, maybe he will find time for a fun, interesting evening with friends». Instead some priests and representatives of the Jewish community saw him and «they got excited», reports the director.
Kidnapped look at the blindness of the church today?
Looker has signed a film that tells a story deeply rooted in the past. «We imagined it could fall back on today, but I didn’t think of making a film that goes against the church, the Pope or the blindness of religion – underlines the director – I was educated in the name of this rigidity and blindness». «This story can only appear ruthless and tragic – he adds Fabrizio Gifuni – and almost brings us back to the Moro case. It is dreadful to think of a child being taken away from his mother and father.”
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