Written for RAF News April 2024

Two Senegalese teenagers risk life and limb to travel across dessert, ocean and hostile territory to get to Europe, where they think their dreams will be realised.

Seydou (Seydou Sarr) lives with his mother and sisters but spends most of his time with cousin Moussa (Moustapha Fall). They play football, exclusively wearing an assortment of faded European team’s kits throughout the film, but their passion is in music, which they write and perform together a cappella with friends on the street.

Though the two boys seem happy with their lot, buzzing with a contagious cheerfulness, they have been sneaking out to work on the sly, stashing away earnings until they have enough to runaway from home, and embark upon an impossible journey to Italy – entrusting their lives to various criminals and gangs who promise anything for enough money.

Matteo Garrone, the film’s director is Italian, and so the motive here seems pretty clear: not only to humanise the immigrants that arrive in the country, but to appeal for empathy on what we will soon learn is a death-defying journey where practices of kidnapping, torture and slavery are commonplace.

There is a rich and diverse score to Io Capitano, which at times carries a bluesy soulfulness that can fill you with hope for what could be the adventure of a lifetime for two young boys. This will grow darker as the reality sets in, but it never loses its rich, West African voice.

The heart of the film lies with Seydou, who appears in turn confident and fearful, uncertain of the huge decision he is making, but able to focus on the hurdle that lies directly infront of him. Although it could be easy to make this a bleak and gruelling watch, Sarr’s performance along with the film’s tone, makes this thrilling and hopeful.