Kidnapped12A

Directed by Marco Bellocchio | Italy | 2023 | 2h 14m | Italian w/ English subtitles | Starring Paolo Pierobon, Fausto Russo Alesi, Barbara Ronchi, Enea Sala, Filippo Timi

In 1858 in Bologna, papal soldiers burst into the home of the Jewish Mortara family and kidnap their seven-year-old son, claiming he is Catholic due to a secret baptism in infancy. As the church began indoctrinating the young boy, the family launch a struggle to regain their son. Directed by Palme d’Or winner Marco Bellocchio, this gripping narrative unfolds with operatic intensity and visual grandeur, depicting a small Jewish community in turmoil as they resist the overbearing authority of the Catholic Church.

Reviews

‘It is a full-tilt melodrama with the passionate vehemence of Victor Hugo or Charles Dickens, which lays bare an ugly formative episode of Europe’s Catholic church: an affair of antisemitism and child abuse.’
★★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Sorry - you missed it!

We showed Kidnapped between May 17, 2024 and May 22, 2024.

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What else is on?

Today (Monday 11th May)

17:45

The Love Witch 15
2h 1m
A modern witch searches for love through spells and seduction, leaving chaos in her wake. Anna Biller’s stylised homage to Technicolor cinema blends horror, humour, and sharp feminist insight, transforming romance into a dangerous fantasy of obsession and desire.

Book here

20:30

Father Mother Sister Brother 15
1h 50m
Acclaimed director Jim Jarmusch weaves stories across New Jersey, Dublin and Paris, where siblings reunite amid family tensions and tragedy. Starring Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps, this Golden Lion-winning triptych blends quiet humour with poignant insight.

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Tomorrow (Tuesday 12th May)

17:30

The Stranger 15
+ Q&A / £6 for Members
2h 2m | French w/ English subtitles
Set in French Algeria, Meursault drifts through life until his mother’s death sparks judgment, conflict, and tragedy. François Ozon’s sensitive, queer-inflected adaptation illuminates the emotional and moral complexities at the heart of Albert Camus’s existential masterpiece.

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20:45

The Blue Trail 15
£6 for Members
1h 25m | Portuguese w/ English subtitles
In a near-future dystopia, government relocates older citizens to remote colonies. Defying the mandate, Tereza pursues her dream of flight, embarking on an illegal Amazon journey. Silver Bear winner Gabriel Mascaro crafts a lyrical tale of resistance, freedom, and self-determination.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road.We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We only show a few adverts – less than most cinemas – and we only play a couple of trailers, so please don’t be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!