The systematic destruction of family and religious values remains his sole preferred target

CEI on Marco Bellocchio

The film, which opened across Italy on Friday, has provoked harsh criticism from the official organization of Italian bishops, the Conferenza Episcopale Italiana (CEI).

In a statement, the CEI told the Daily Variety newspaper: "Mr Bellocchio shows no sign of having progressed since 1964, when he debuted with Fists in the Pocket.

"The systematic destruction of family and religious values remains his sole preferred target, even in the third millennium."

The director hit back claiming the movie was a family drama and not a deconstruction of the Catholic church.

He added while he respected the CEI's right to take a critical view of the film, they could not question its inclusion in the Cannes line-up.

Awards

Mr Bellocchio is a veteran of Italian cinema.

Born in Piacenza in 1939, he achieved fame with his first feature movie, Fists in the Pocket, in 1964.

The low-budget movie about a family of epileptics won an award at Switzerland's prestigious Locarno film festival.

He has won many awards over the years, including a special jury prize at Berlin's film festival for 1991's La Condanna.

He has been nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes four times, without success, although Michel Piccoli and Anouk Aim�e won the best actor and actress prizes for their roles in his 1980 movie Leap Into Void.

His last nomination was three years ago for La Balia.