Leaving Cordoba

Leaving Cordoba follows a Jewish boy`s dangerous escape from the Spanish Inquisition. In 1640, Carlos Ferrera`s parents are arrested by the Inquisition, and 13-year-old Carlos understands that they are secret Jews. His mother is sentenced to life in prison; his father is to die, and Carlos himself escapes to Uncle Carmelo in Malaga.

Uncle and nephew decide to risk the dangerous flight to Antwerp, which has become a haven for secret Jews fleeing the Inquisition. After experiencing a rotting, leaky boat, brutal pirates and life-threatening storms, the crew that arrives in Antwerp is destitute. But Carlos cannot give up the absurd idea of rescuing his mother. Turning his recently discovered artistic talent to his advantage, he brings an eminent French art collector to Bordeaux, not far from the Spanish border. Carlos reaches the fortress where his mother is imprisoned and, in a hair-raising climax, the two escape Cordoba for good. Dorit Orgad has produced a powerful evocation of time and place.