Image copyright AFP

Celebrated Italian film-maker Vittorio Taviani has died, aged 88.

He died after a long illness, his daughter said, and would be cremated in a private ceremony.

He and his brother Paolo became household names in Italy in the 1960s, and released their latest film in 2017.

Internationally, their film Padre Padrone won the Palme D'Or in Cannes in 1977. More recently, docudrama Caesar Must Die won the Golden Bear prize at the Berlin Film Festival in 2012.

Vittorio was the elder of the two brothers. They produced their final film together - Rainbow: A Private Affair - last year.

While they wrote it together, it was directed solely by 86-year-old Paolo.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Vittorio (R) and Paolo took turns directing alternate scenes

Vittorio began studying law at the University of Pisa, but dropped out after becoming interested in cinema.

The Taviani brothers wrote and directed short films and produced their first feature in 1962. They continued the partnership - each taking turns to direct alternate scenes with the other watching.

The Repubblica newspaper said the two masters of Italian cinema had narrated the history, reality and contradictions of Italy since the 1960s.

So close was their partnership that Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni called them individually "Paolovittorio".

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