< Back to Summer Screenings page

A woman and a young girl sit outside, in front of a statue of a religious figure. They both have bored expressions on their faces.

The Kidnapping of Arabella Il rapimento di Arabella

  Carolina Cavalli  |  Italy

Synopsis

The rambunctious Arabella, eight years old, feels like running away from her boring, distant parents. The disillusioned Holly, twenty-eight, has just been fired from yet another dead-end job; she claims her life took a wrong turn, not ending up the way she had dreamed it would when she was a kid. When the two meet by chance, Holly is convinced that Arabella is her younger self, and the mischievous little girl plays along. Their mission: to rewrite history. On the lam, they embark on an adventure to try to turn back time in the hopes that Holly might yet realize the special life she feels she deserves.

A stylized road movie full of impish hijinks, Carolina Cavalli’s sophomore feature is a whimsical, deadpan, and delightfully bizarre coming-of-age in reverse. Propelled by the dynamic duo of the parallel Hollys—and a surprising, hilarious appearance from Chris Pine speaking Italian—The Kidnapping of Arabella deftly balances the witty and the tender in an earnest exploration of the anxieties of growing up.

 Italian 

 107 minutes

Screenings & Events

There are currently no upcoming screenings of this film.

Media

Film Credits

  •   Antonio Celsi, Annamaria Morelli
  •   Carolina Cavalli
  •   Babak Jalali
  •   Lorenzo Levrini
  •   Thomas Moked Blum, Noaz Deshe
  •   Andrea Scrosati, Moreno Zani, Malcom Pagani
  •   Elsinore Film, The Apartment, Piperfilm

Sponsors

Program Patron

Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation

With support from

logo: CinecittàLogo: Italian Ministry of Culture / Cinema Audiovisivo179x80Consulate General of ItalyLogo: Italian Cultural Institute - 200x100

You might also enjoy...

Shorts 5: Comedy

Various | France, Ireland, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, U.S.

Laugh away the woes of the world with this eclectic collection of comedies. From the absurd anxieties of wannabe filmmakers to the ridiculous delusions of …

Two men sit in a car at night, rain streaking the windshield. The man on the left leans forward tensely, holding a crumpled tissue and staring intently at the driver. The driver, wearing a beige trench coat, looks straight ahead with a grim, troubled expression. The atmosphere is tense and suspenseful.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Rian Johnson | U.S.

World-renowned detective Benoit Blanc returns for his most dangerous case yet.

A man and a woman stand face to face, both excited to see each other. Another man stands between them, shocked.

Eternity

David Freyne | U.S.

In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan is faced with the impossible choice between her husband and …

Scroll to Top