Kidnapped is based on the true story of Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish boy from Bologna, Italy. Edgardo’s doting Catholic nursemaid claimed that, when Edgardo was an infant and seriously ill, she had secretly and impulsively carried out an emergency baptism because she feared Edgardo would die and go to limbo. When this came to the attention of the Inquisition authorities some years later in 1858 when he was six, Edgardo was forcibly taken from his family to be raised as a Catholic.
The child was raised within the orbit of Pope Pius IX, who made Edgardo his pet and turned the case into a trial of strength between the church and anti-papal nationalists, foreign journalists and the Jewish community. As such, his parents’ struggle to free their son became part of a larger political battle that pitted the papacy against the forces of democracy and Italian unification.
An economical and impassioned screenplay conveys both a palpable sense of anger in underscoring the devastating consequences of familial separation, as well as portraying an astute study of power, the dynamics of oppression and resistance and a country on the cusp of revolution.
About Richmond Film Society
Richmond Film Society was formed in 1963 and has since screened nearly 900 films. Its objective was, and remains, to bring our local community the very best in World Cinema. The seasons run from September to June and attract an aggregate audience of just under 5,000. Season 61 will comprise 20 films of international repute, including features from Europe, Africa, Central America, East Asia, USA and UK.
Films are shown on alternate Tuesdays at 8:00 pm sharp, with no ads or trailers. On screening nights, the bar opens at 7:00 p.m. and drinks can be brought into the auditorium. Film notes are available online for each screening and audience scores and feedback are collated.
For further information on RFS and the programme of films, please visit http://www.richmondfilmsoc.org.uk
Non-Member Tickets £5
Around 60 non-member tickets are available to purchase for individual screenings in Season 60. Non-member tickets are £5 (full-time students £3) and can be purchased in advance from The Exchange’s Box Office: online at http://exchangetwickenham.co.uk/events, by telephone 020 8240 2399 or in person. To ensure that you secure a ticket and avoid disappointment, we strongly recommend early pre-booking via The Exchange.
Should any non-member tickets remain available on the night of screenings, they can be purchased from The Exchange’s box office on the ground floor. Purchases are by contactless payments only.
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