The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara 

The treatment of a young Jewish boy, forcibly raised as a Christian in 19th century Italy, creates a furor which pits the Papacy itself against forces of democracy and Italian unification.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers:

Tony Kushner (screenplay), David I. Kertzer (based on the book by)

Storyline

The Kidnapping Of Edgardo Mortara recounts the story of a young Jewish boy in Bologna, Italy in 1858 who, having been secretly baptized, is forcibly taken from his family to be raised as a Christian. His parents' struggle to free their son becomes part of a larger political battle that pits the Papacy against forces of democracy and Italian unification.

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Plot Keywords:

democracy | 

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Genres:

Drama | History

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The project was originally looking to get back on track after Steven Spielberg finished The Post (2017) but after struggling to find a child actor for the leading role for over a year and, during the course of doing The Post (2017), Spielberg lost interest in continuing developing the project and instead put his focus on Ready Player One (2018), the remake of West Side Story (2021) and at the time, Indiana Jones 5 (2022) but has since stepped down from the helm but remains a producer. This project however is officially now put on the back burner for the foreseeable future.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Filming Locations:

Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amblin Entertainment, DreamWorks, DreamWorks

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1