The Kidnapping of Arabella

Directed by Carolina Cavalli
Italy
2025
107 mins

Synopsis

A seven-year-old girl orchestrates her own abduction to spite her absent-minded father (Chris Pine) in this wry and unpredictable drama. Best Actress Award winner, Venice 2025.

When little Arabella is forced to attend a glitzy gala in celebration of her novelist father, she has an epic meltdown – the enfant terrible wanted Taco King! She gets her way when her preoccupied parent, played by the unexpectedly Italian-fluent Chris Pine, sends her off to the taqueria with his driver. Unsupervised in the carpark, Arabella locks eyes with lost soul Holly who, in a fugue state, hallucinates that Arabella is her younger self. Seizing the moment, the fleeing fledgling makes a break for it with her confused kidnapper. Awarded the Best Actress prize at Venice, Italian It girl Benedetta Porcaroli stars as Arabella’s accidental smuggler in this runaway romp by sophomore Carolina Cavalli (Amanda).

Just like Jim Jarmusch in his early years, Cavalli possesses an impressive control of deadpan tone.
Lee Marshall, Screen International

Tickets

Fri 5 June 2026, 6:15pm
Palace Norton Street - Cinema 3
Assisted ListeningWheelchair
Sat 6 June 2026, 7pm
Palace Central Cinemas - Cinema 1
Assisted ListeningWheelchair
  • Program Strand
  • Original Title
    IL RAPIMENTO DI ARABELLA
  • Year
    2025
  • Classification
    Unclassified 15+
  • Country
    Italy
  • Language
    In Italian with English subtitles
  • Director
    Carolina Cavalli
  • Producer
    Antonio Celsi, Annamaria Morelli, Massimiliano Orfei, Luisa Borella, Davide Novelli
  • Cast
    Benedetta Porcaroli, Lucrezia Guglielmino, Chris Pine
  • Screenwriter
    Carolina Cavalli
  • Cinematographer
    Lorenzo Levrini
  • Editor
    Babak Jalali
  • Genre
  • Premiere
    Australian Premiere
  • Company Credits
    Sales Agent: Charades
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