Emanuela Orlandi, la disparue du Vatican

Very long and drawn out but unfortunately is exactly what this poor family have had to endure for most of their lives. One review thought it was one sided but when the Vatican have refused to comment, take part, provide any other facts or show the slightest bit of compassion to this dignified family it can only lead to the obvious conclusion. The church can no longer hide these dreadful crimes and say no comment without defending themselves. This is the real reason populations are deserting the churches. Too much of their abhorrent behaviour has come to light. So many are no longer sheep but some have been lambs unwittingly to a miserable slaughter. They all need justice.

I have ranked over1200 documents and films and reviewed dozens of them in IMDB. I will tell you that this was the most striking documentary for me thus far.

I do not get why some people complain about this documentary being far too long. Particularly this one covers the story from 1982 to 2019. It reviews all the available credible evidence with the elucidated documentation and testimony of the witnesses. Any less would be harder to ascertain.

Ever since its inception, the foundation of the Vatican, a self-governing nation-state, surrounded by secrecy. One of its priorities is the controlled disbursement of information to the world. After the 2018 - 2019 leaks of Vatican banks' involvement with the Italian Mafia, journalists were able to get a small glimpse of the tirade and the culture of corruption inherent in the bowels of the organization.

This documentary exposes some of these facts and does great justice to the family of Orlandi who have been fighting to find their daughter for the past 40 years. This is a must-watch.

Premix: as a non-italian, I would have probably given a lower rating. However, everyone living in Italy knows the importance of this story in the Italian "pop" culture, and how important it is to keep talking about it.

The story narrated is incredibly interesting, and the docu-series helps re-ordering the puzzle which has been unfolded in the last 35 years. A puzzle with various and different pieces: a story of a missing girl, a story with intertwined religious and political powers, a story of corruption, a story of a family which never loses faith.

However, although the docu-series lucidly describes all the different theories behind this case, it does not really add anything new to what is already known, a part from the very last new witness in the last episode, giving a sense of "I whish but I couldn't" as soon as the last episode ends.

On the production side, the docu-series is well done, though it was probably way over-streched: some specific episodes received way too much importance, and the cut-scenes were all over the places and way over used throughout all the episodes, ending up boring the viewer.

Nevertheless, if someone is able to overcome these issue, and to focus on the main point of the story, she will be able to better understand what is behind one of the biggest scandal in Vatican's history, and to witness the tragic story of Emanuela Orlandi.

Let's hope the truth will come out sooner or later.

I heard about this case before but I didn't know all that facts, it was very interesting to watch, well filmed, big secrets of Vatican mafia. The only one question- why Emanuela was kidnapped and for what... Terrible 39 years for family to live in that horror. I think that Vatican should reveal the secret of what happened that day and make the family of Emanuela find a peace. Is it possible to have next Pope who will broke the ice and tell the truth to all who follow this case for many years, not only in Italy but in whole world who was shocked to know that in Vatican was kidnapped a child...?

Let's get rid of one aspect upfront: as several reviews remark, the documentary drags a little here and there; could've been 3 episodes maybe? Yes probably.

But - is this really the point?

No, I done think so. This is a tragic story and had to be told; and re-told over and over again.

The documentary has the big merit of laying on the table all the facts and the underlying theories, from the most credible to the obviously fake, behind the Orlandi case in a rather objective and lucid manner.

And while, as expected, the documentary offers no culprit, it leaves the viewer with a well documented certainty: whatever the truth is, there is only one knowing it: the Vatican. And the Vatican keeps hiding it; and this is an insult to the family, to the justice system and to their faithfuls.

Considering the huge cost in terms of reputation damage this is causing to the Vatican, the benefit of doing it must be bigger. So it must be VERY big.