(JNS) — A new Italian film that tells the real-life story of a Jewish child papal authorities removed from a family and baptized secretly in the mid-19th century is drawing criticism from some Jewish leaders, including Rome’s chief rabbi.

The historical drama “Rapito” (“Kidnapped”), directed and co-written by Marco Bellocchio, recently debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. It explores the story of Edgardo Levi Mortara in a narrative loosely based on the book Il Caso Mortara by Daniele Scalise, which was highly critical of the papal role in the scandal.

In 2016, Steven Spielber...