Italy bans ‘The Little One’ for under-14s despite Cannes success

The Little One, the film by Hafsia Herzi, winner of the Best Actress Award for Nadia Melliti and the Queer Palm at Cannes Film Festival, has been banned for children under 14 by the Commission for the Classification of Cinematographic Works of the Ministry of Culture.

Fandango, which will distribute the film in Italy starting April 23, expressed in a statement its “deep disappointment” and announced it is appealing the decision of the Commission of the Department for Cultural Activities – General Directorate for Cinema and Audiovisuals, which imposed the viewing ban on April 14, CE Report quotes ANSA.

Hafsia Herzi said she is “deeply saddened by the decision to ban The Little One for children under 14 in Italy. The film does not contain any explicit sexual references and has been distributed worldwide without any form of censorship,” the director emphasized.

“During my year-long international tour with Nadia Melliti, the lead actress who won Best Actress at Cannes, I had the opportunity to meet audiences and never encountered comments of this kind. The reception has always been very warm, and I sincerely believe the film portrays the life of a character never seen before, important for many young women. The film is based on an autobiographical book that has not been censored in any country.”

According to the official statement, the Commission believes the film contains “explicit sexual references which, while not shown as pornographic images, are described in detail and could negatively affect the emotional development of children under 14.”

For this reason, the film has been classified as unsuitable for children under 14, with thematic warnings including sex, language, foul language, and incitement to hatred.