‘Io Capitano’ offers an eye-opening perspective on African emigration

By Isaac Stewart

This review contains spoilers for “Io Capitano”

“Io Capitano” is different from the films I normally watch.

I’ve always been attracted to films with far-flung locations, high stakes, and happy endings. “Io Capitano” has all these things, and yet it is so incredibly different from what I normally watch. The setting isn’t as far away as we might be tempted to think, the stakes are very real, and the ending isn’t as happy as it seems. Still, I’m very glad I gave this movie a chance.

“Io Capitano” is a 2023 European film about two Senegalese teenagers, Seydou and Moussa, who leave their home in Dakar, Senegal, to find a better life in Italy. Inspired by real stories of African migrants and filmed on location in Senegal, Morocco and Italy, ‘Io Capitano’ weaves a gripping picture of the very real challenges migrants are willing to take on for the chance at a better future.

Optimistic as they are, Seydou and Moussa are unprepared for the road ahead. After six months of secretly saving, they finally board the bus to Agadez, Niger. It soon becomes clear to us how difficult it is to travel through Africa, especially with little money and without a passport. Throughout the film, Seydou and Moussa persevere despite corrupt border patrols, apathetic smugglers, the heat of the Sahara, the Libyan mafia and the Mediterranean Sea, where Seydou is forced to pilot the boat in the film’s climax. of hopeful migrants like himself.

At some point in the film it dawns on you that the places and events in this film are very real things that happen every day, albeit in a ‘distant place’. Most of the time, the faraway places I like to look at or read about aren’t real places. Obviously this is not the case in this film. Senegal (which I didn’t even know was a country until 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 US. If I want to go to Africa, I can buy a plane ticket and be there tomorrow. If someone in Africa wants to come to America, it could cost him everything.

It seems that anyone who can give a ride or has a gun has no problem taking advantage of these migrants. In the film, Seydou and Moussa get a ride on a truck through the desert ($400 each), sitting on the truck bed with a group of other migrants. Someone falls off along the way and the driver refuses to go back. The driver doesn’t even take them to Libya as promised, but leaves them in the middle of the desert with a guide, forcing them to walk the rest of the way. And no one can do anything about that. This isn’t even the worst thing that happens to our main characters in this film.

Despite everything, the film still has a happy ending. Seydou and Moussa make it to Italy (spoiler alert), and it’s a very powerful moment, especially considering everything they’ve been through to get there. However, the film ends before they actually enter Italian territory, and that fact makes you wonder what really awaited them there.

In reality, migrants reaching Italy have not yet completed their journey. Those who do make it to their destination must now obtain a visa and find a way to make a living in a completely new culture, 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. This, together with a lengthy asylum process, can make migrants vulnerable to exploitation in the workplace, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Knowing the hardships of migrants puts a damper on the happy ending of “Io Capitano.”

Overall, “Io Capitano” is an undeniably compelling film, with a grounded cinematic style and compelling performances from its cast of actors. Now that I’ve seen it, it’s no surprise that it has received thirty-four awards and been nominated for another thirty-three. However, the real value you get from watching this film is a new perspective on a very relevant global problem.

If you get the chance to watch “Io Capitano,” you should absolutely do it.

Isaac Steward is a junior BDMJ student and an A&E writer for Cedars. He likes to analyze good stories and create cool things. Isaac has never been to the moon or enjoyed peanut butter. Most likely he never will.