Odyssey to Europe
“I Capitano” – Captivating escape drama
Matteo Garrone has been awarded the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival. photo
© Gian Mattia D’Alberto/LaPresse/AP/dpa
Two young people flee from Senegal to Europe to pursue a big dream. Director Matteo Garrone shows in his award-winning drama “I Capitano” how difficult and dangerous this journey is.
Images of capsized refugee boats on the Mediterranean are part of reality. But what happens beforehand? The life-threatening journey of migrants on the way to Europe has many other stages.
In his award-winning escape drama “I Capitano”, the Italian director Matteo Garrone tells the impressive and moving story of two young people who make their way to Italy from the West African Senegal – and experience terrible things along the way.
Garrone won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival last year. “I Capitano” was also nominated for best international film at the Oscars. In his drama, the director follows the perspective of teenager Seydou (Seydou Sarr) in Senegal, who wants to become a pop star in Europe with his cousin Moussa (Moustapha Fall). They dream of one day being on stage and signing autographs.
Journey marked by violence and corruption
Both imagine the journey to Europe as a great adventure. When they set out on their journey against all warnings, they quickly realize that their venture is turning into a fight for survival. The journey is like an odyssey and is repeatedly marked by violence and corruption.
Garrone divides it into several sections. Seydou and Moussa experience the hardships of an arduous march through the desert, which ends with a rebel attack and separates the friends. Seydou feels the brutality of the Libyan mafia in a detention center.
As a viewer, you quickly sympathize with the two initially very naive and lovable protagonists. In general, Garrone stages his drama with strong images and uses shots that sometimes seem almost magical. At the same time, “I Capitano” repeatedly shows the cruel reality of escape. For example, during the march through the Sahara, the bodies of those who didn’t make it can be seen in some places.
Another plus of the drama is the acting performance of the two main characters – Seydou Sarr was awarded the Marcello Mastroianni Prize as best young actor in Venice in 2023.
Trailer I Capitano, Italy, Belgium, 2023, 124 minutes, by Matteo Garrone, with Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall