Io Capitano main backdrop
Io Capitano main poster

Io Capitano

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7.8/10 • 728

2023-09-072h 1m

AdventureDrama

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.

Directors
Matteo Garrone
Writters
Massimo Ceccherini, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso, Andrea Tagliaferri
Editors
Marco Spoletini

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Seydou Sarr

    Seydou Sarr

    Seydou

  2. Moustapha Fall

    Moustapha Fall

    Moussa

  3. Issaka Sawadogo

    Issaka Sawadogo

    Martin

  4. Hichem Yacoubi

    Hichem Yacoubi

    Ahmed

  5. Doodou Sagna

    Doodou Sagna

    Charlatan

  6. Khady Sy

    Khady Sy

    Seydou's Mother

  7. Venus Gueye

    Venus Gueye

    Seydou's Sister

  8. Cheick Oumar Diaw

    Cheick Oumar Diaw

    Sisko

  9. Joe Lassana

    Joe Lassana

    Passport Man

Reviews2

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Brent Marchant Avatar

Brent Marchant

Feb 26, 2024

6/10

Movies about the flood of new immigrants into Europe from Africa and the Middle East have been growing in number in recent years. Depictions of the many hardships these individuals face (sometimes graphic and disturbing in nature) have been making their way into the cinematic community, showing exactly what these desperate freedom seekers are up against. And this latest offering in this genre does just that in telling the story of two Senegalese teens as they make the perilous attempt to find their way to a new life in Italy. Writer-director Matteo Garrone tells the harrowing tale of cousins Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall) as they wrestle with the challenges of the environment, unrepentant scammers, forced detention and torture by authorities and criminals, and the harsh conditions of crossing the Mediterranean. However, while the film features fine performances, cinematography and location settings, it all seems a little too familiar, a tale with a hole-filled plot and a series of cliffhangers that seem to have all-too-convenient solutions to them. It’s also overlong, filled with a variety of sequences that could have been easily pared back without losing anything meaningful. Nevertheless, these shortcomings are countered, to a certain extent, by an intriguing mystical and surreal subtext, which is actually the picture’s strongest (though most woefully underdeveloped) aspect. In light of the foregoing, then, I must admit that I’m somewhat mystified how this release managed to secure so many accolades, including Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for best international film, especially given how many other better offerings were available. “Io Capitano” is one of those movies that makes a good instructional picture for those who’d like to know more about the plight of this new wave of immigrants, but its hype seems a bit inflated in the face of previous releases on this subject and other foreign language offerings more deserving of the praise.

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  • Io Capitano poster
  • Io Capitano poster
  • Io Capitano poster
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Status
Released
Original Language
Italian
Budget
$13,272,819.00
Revenue
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Keywords
africaeuropemigrationsenegalmigrantdakar