KIDNAPPED

In the 19th century this case made waves all the way to the US: In 1858 Vatican soldiers  stormed the apartment of a Jewish family and kidnapped their seven-year-old son. Their justification: Allegedly little Edgardo had secretly been christened as a baby at the behest of his maid and thus now has to be raised Catholic. It’s the start of a multi-year struggle over the fate of this child, with immense political ramifications. Veteran filmmaker Marco Bellocchio has crafted a drama that strikes sparks from the clash between baroque formal film language and a secular message.