Death of Fellini at 73 leaves Italian cinema 'in darkness': British directors pay tribute

Hugh Hudson (director of Chariots of Fire): 'Everybody was influenced by him, by the fact that he was doing personal films of his life, by his spirit, by his ability to portray his feelings rather than other people's feelings.'

Michael Winner: 'There are no European directors that surpass him. He was much better than Bergman. Bergman was plodding: Fellini's films danced with life and colour.'

Richard Eyre (director of The Ploughman's Lunch): 'There are very, very few (directors ) in the history of world cinema who have really made you see the world through their eyes, and Fellini is one of them.'

Nicholas Roeg described Fellini as a great romantic. 'The phrase 'like a character from a Fellini movie' used to mean someone weird or grotesque. But now we have come to realise what he was doing . . . Really it was his great love of life. It wasn't just the handsome and beautiful who could be beautiful people. A character with two stumps could have pride and charm and wit.'

(Photograph omitted)