IO CAPITANO

Nominated for best international feature at the 2024 Academy Awards, Director Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah) has crafted a suspenseful contemporary odyssey, offering a perspective far removed from the images we are used to seeing in the Western media. At its heart is a captivating performance from newcomer Seydou Sarr.

Io Capitano is the epic story of two teenagers, Seydou and Moussa, who decide to leave Dakar, Senegal and make their way to Europe. They do this secretly, although they are repeatedly warned about the arduous journey. The dream of becoming rich and famous as a musician in Europe is too enticing. But their journey is not as easy as they imagined and they are quickly confronted with horror: the obstacles of the Sahara, the horrors of detention centres in Libya and the perils of the open sea.

“Garrone’s film has a three-dimensional and devastatingly realized human soul at its core. The world could do with paying attention to Seydou’s story and the millions of other real ones like it. ” Leila Latif indieWire