Film directors have protested against government plans to cut down on the use of one of Italian cinema’s most enduring props — the cigarette.
The outcry follows a statement by Beatrice Lorenzin, the health minister, that she would like to see the “regulation” of smoking in Italian films and television series.
In an open letter to Ms Lorenzin, the directors, including the Oscar winner Paolo Sorrentino, described their “stupor” at the prospect of a “ridiculous” ban that would hamper their attempt to “recount the lives of people”.
Smoking was central to the hip depictions of Italy during the 1960s, notably in the era’s defining film, La Dolce Vita.
A ban on smoking in public places has been in place in Italy for ten years