Character Relationship Map: 20 Cigarettes

Characters

• Aureliano (played by Vinicio Marchioni) — protagonist

  The central protagonist, a young anarchist, aspiring actor, and chronically unemployed worker who travels to Iraq to make a film about the Italian mission. He becomes involved with the soldiers, is se...

• Stefano Rolla (played by Giorgio Colangeli) — supporting

  An energetic director who secures official support for the Iraq film and explains that emotional storytelling is needed to convey the soldiers' experience to Italian viewers. He works with Aureliano d...

• Massimo Ficuciello (played by Alberto Basaluzzo) — supporting

  A member of the group in Iraq who is killed in the truck bombing near the barracks.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Aureliano → Stefano Rolla (Professional Director And Assistant Director) — Stefano leads the production while Aureliano assists and becomes increasingly involved in the filmmaking.

  Stefano Rolla secures official support for the film and Aureliano is treated as an assistant director during the Iraq project.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Stefano Rolla → Massimo Ficuciello (Social Mission Colleague) — The plot places them within the same mission community during the fatal attack.

  Stefano Rolla and Massimo Ficuciello are both killed when the truck explodes near the barracks during the Iraq mission.

• Aureliano → Massimo Ficuciello (Alliance Mission Associate) — They are connected through the Italian mission and the documentary project.

  Aureliano is filming the soldiers' daily lives in Iraq, and Massimo Ficuciello is among those killed in the same barracks explosion.

Story Analysis

Aureliano's journey from anti-war filmmaker to wounded survivor exposes the gap between lived trauma and public narratives.

Plot Progression

1. A Smoker Against War — Aureliano reflects on cigarettes, unemployment, anarchism, and his dreams of filmmaking. Despite his hostility toward the military, he prepares to travel to Iraq.
2. Warnings Before Departure — Aureliano's mother worries about his journey and recalls his childhood accident. A Brazilian friend's frightening premonition adds unease before his departure.
3. Filming the Mission — In Iraq, Aureliano meets soldiers and works with Stefano Rolla on a documentary about the Italian mission. The group discusses fear, money, duty, and personal motives.
4. The Barracks Explosion — A truck breaches the barracks entrance and explodes. Aureliano is badly injured, while Stefano Rolla, Massimo Ficuciello, and many others are killed.
5. A Survivor's Bitter Return — Aureliano survives hospital treatment and returns to Rome with serious injuries. Television reconstructions and competing explanations intensify his bitterness about how the disaster is represented.