Journeying from Africa to Europe without an official permit isn’t just risky, it’s dehumanizing, if not lethal. And though we’ve heard about the many unfortunate ways migrants have suffered, never has the crisis been as intimately and intensely portrayed as in Io Captain. Here, we get to see who Seydou and Moussa were before the voyage out of Senegal, before they were reduced to anonymous bodies bound to torture, slavery, and racism. Director Matteo Garrone takes care not to exploit their lives and instead highlights the joy and hope they left behind and continue to find in small but meaningful portions. Garrone achieves a delicate balance between stark, depressing reality and heartwarming hope, and it’s beautiful to watch. All this in addition to stunning cinematography and unbelievable performances by the two young leads makes Io Capitano easily one of the best films in recent years.
"It keeps us close beside Seydou, and it discovers its most lasting impressions and deepest meanings in Sarr’s wondrous performance."
— Justin Chang
"Sarr and Fall are wonderful young actors and excel in displaying joy and fear, presenting a warming and believable brotherly dynamic."
— Katherine McLaughlin
Longing for a brighter future, two Senegalese teenagers embark on a journey from West Africa to Italy. However, between their dreams and reality lies a labyrinth of checkpoints, the Sahara Desert, and the vast waters of the Mediterranean.
Senegalese cousins and aspiring musicians Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall) must brave through long stretches of desert and water, not to mention brutal smugglers and traffickers, to realize their dreams in Europe.
There is a way to tell these stories with more empathy and less exploitation, and Io Capitano is the perfect example of that.
If news of the increasingly inhumane treatment of migrants doesn’t get to you, then this film will surely, and sweepingly, do the trick.
Oscars
1 nomination
Venice
2 wins
Golden Globes
1 nomination
European Film Awards
2 nominations
