Edgardos parents, distraught, will do anything to get their son back.
Supported by public opinion and the international Jewish community, the Mortaras struggle quickly take a political dimension.
I wanted to save him, Bellocchio said.
Marco Bellocchio.Mike Coppola/Getty Images.
Steven Spielberg was preparing a film on Edgardo Mortara.
Hed already started preparing this film and contacted various colleagues.
He did some location scouting, and several actors had already been contacted, Bellocchio said.
However, Spielbergs project then came to a halt because he didnt find the right child.
The film cannot be made in a language other than Italian with regional Italian accents, Bellocchio said.
It would have been a different film if it was shot in English.
Its unclear whether Spielberg planned to shoot the film in English or Italian.
Bellocchio can verify every twist in the tale, chapter and verse.
The Cannes Film Festival runs through May 26.
