Io Capitano (2024), nominated for Best International Feature at the Academy Awards, the tale is of two teenage boys from Senegal embarking on a hazardous journey across North Africa to the Mediterranean to reach the promise of Europe. Facing challenges at every turn on their nightmare trek across open desert, they experience potentially deadly encounters with counterfeiters, thieves and a harrowing episode in a Libyan detention centre. The high aspirations, dreams and ambitions of the two quite quickly evolve into a gripping struggle for survival, highlighting the main character Seydou’s resilience in the face of all the horror. The film slides between this challenging realism and surreal, dream-like episodes at heightened moments. Io Capitano is directed by
Matteo Garrone is an Italian filmmaker more noted for films like Gomorrah (2008) (previously seen at Cinematheque) and Tale of Tales (2015), another example of fantasy horror weaving through the narrative. This is a compelling film, however, made with a non-professional cast, and many details are drawn from the true-life experiences of former migrants who helped make the film.

‘A grand, honestly felt emotional sweep…’   Variety,     A mesmerising vision… ’  The New Yorker.