Written by Isaac Steward
This review contains spoilers for “Io Capitano”
“Io Capitano” is different from the movies I usually watch.
I’ve always been drawn to movies with distant settings, high stakes, and happy endings. “Io Capitano” has all of these things, and yet it’s still incredibly different from what I normally see. The setting is not as far away as we might like to think, the stakes are very real, and the ending is not as happy as it seems. Still, I’m so glad I gave this movie a try.
Io Capitano is a 2023 European film that tells the story of two Senegalese teenagers, Seydou and Moussa, who leave their home in Dakar, Senegal to find a better life in Italy. Inspired by real testimonies from African immigrants and shot on location in Senegal, Morocco and Italy, Io Capitano is a harrowing video of the very real challenges that immigrants are willing to face for a chance at a brighter future. is woven.
Although optimistic, Seydoux and Moussa are not ready for the road ahead. After six months of working in secret and saving money, they finally boarded a bus to Agadez, Niger. You quickly realize how difficult it is to travel around Africa, especially with limited money and no passport. Throughout the film, Seydou and Moussa struggle against corrupt border controls, uninterested smugglers, the heat of the Sahara, the Libyan mafia, and despite being forced to pilot a crowded boat in the Mediterranean Sea during the film’s climax. Be patient and endure. I’m talking about hopeful immigrants like him.
Seydoux and other migrants held for ransom by Libyan mafia
At a certain point in the film, you realize that the places and events in the film, even if they are “far away,” are very real events that happen every day. Usually the faraway places I enjoy seeing and reading about are not real places. Obviously, that’s not the case in this movie. Senegal (I didn’t even remember it was a country until I saw this movie) is a real place. Niger and Libya are real places. But when I saw how Senegal, Niger, and Libya were portrayed in Io Capitano, I was struck by how incredibly different these places are from the United States. If you want to go to Africa, you can buy a plane ticket and arrive by tomorrow. If someone from Africa wants to come to America, it can cost everything.
It appears that anyone who gives a ride to a car or has a gun can take advantage of immigrants without issue. In the film, Seydou and Moussa sit in the back of a truck with a group of other immigrants as they ride (at a cost of $400 per person) through the desert. On the way, someone fell and the driver did not want to turn back. The driver didn’t even take them to Libya as promised, instead leaving them alone with their guide in the middle of the desert and forcing them to walk the rest of the way. And there’s nothing anyone can do about it. This isn’t even the worst thing that happens to the main characters in this movie.
Seydou and Moussa walk through the Sahara desert with other abandoned migrants
Despite everything, this movie has a happy ending. Seydoux and Moussa arrive in Italy (spoiler alert). It’s a very powerful moment, especially considering what they went through to get there. However, the movie ends before they actually set foot on Italian soil, which makes me wonder what was really waiting for them there.
In reality, the migrants who arrived in Italy have not yet completed their journey. Once they reach their destination, they must find a way to obtain visas and fend for themselves in an entirely new culture while at the mercy of a new government that may not welcome them. Immigrants often do not have the same rights or access to necessary services such as health care and housing. According to the Migration Policy Institute, this, combined with the lengthy asylum process, can leave migrants vulnerable to exploitation in the workplace. Learning about the hardships faced by immigrants puts a damper on the happy ending of “Io Capitano.”
Overall, Io Capitano is an undeniably appealing film with a grounded cinematic style and convincing performances from the actors. No wonder it has won 34 awards and been nominated for 33 more. But the real value you get from watching this movie is that you get a new perspective on a very relevant global issue.
If you have a chance to see Io Capitano, you should definitely watch it.
Isaac Steward is a junior student at BDMJ and an A&E writer at Cedars. He enjoys analyzing good stories and creating cool ones. Isaac has never been to the moon or enjoyed peanut butter. Perhaps he will never do that.
