Hidden Children (2004): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2004, Hidden Children is a drama film directed by Leone Pompucci, running about 116 minutes.

What it’s about. This is a true story about forty Jewish children on their way to Palestine, who were blocked by the German and Italian occupation of Yugoslavia in 1941. Before finding a haven at Villa Emma in Nonantola in northern Italy, where they arrived on June 17, 1942, the children spent several adventurous months in Slovenia, caught up in the ongoing fight between the partisans and the Italian army. In April 1943, another 33 children, some from the Balkans, others from France, joined the original group. All were orphans who had lost their parents in concentration camps and had subsequently been smuggled out of Germany by Recha Freier, a well-known Zionist. The group ranged in age from six to twenty one and settled in at Villa Emma with their chaperones and teachers, Josef Indig, Marco Schoky and the pianist Boris Jochverdson.

Who’s in it. Hidden Children stars Ken Duken as Joseph Indig, Jasmine Trinca as Tilla Nagler, Max von Sydow as Valobra and Ana Caterina Morariu as Shosha, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.9/10, Hidden Children has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Hidden Children page.

If you liked it. Fans of Hidden Children tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.