She was the irresistible muse of Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini who bewitched audiences across the globe with her sultry gaze: on Sunday, sixties screen siren Claudia Cardinale celebrates her eightieth birthday, on stage and without any nostalgia.

“I really don’t care,” laughs the icon, when asked by AFP about turning the big 80. “It’s normal, time passes, I’m not nostalgic at all.” The effervescent actress has opted to age naturally, staunchly denouncing attempts to defy time with cosmetic surgery. “I hate all that,” she said, shaking her head, her expressive eyes rimmed with thick black eyeliner typical of the Hollywood stars of her era.