Film No. 19. IO CAPITANO (2024). 19th March.

 

Film No. 19  (2024)  March 19th.  6:30 PM  LUNA LEEDERVILLE,  Cine 1, Leederville.

 

"Think about becoming a big star. White people will be wanting your autograph." (Seydo wants friend Moussa to focus on the big picture as to why they need to head to Europe).

NOMINEE: Best International Feature (Matteo Garrone) The Oscars 2024.

Is this the sort of film that should be shown to teenage boys who are about to embark on their own coming of age adventures? Why not! It wouldn't do any harm. It might get a conversion or two started.

The Senegalese boys Seydou (Seydo Starr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall)  live full, happy, third world lives in Dakar. They are friends with a love of creating their own music and they harbour dreams of making it big in The West. They have hard earned money saved, and a burning will to flee to Europe. So they do. IO CAPITANO is their epic tale of ambition, love, resilience, pain, fear, dishonesty, loyalty, friendship, achievement and finally becoming men. This is one epic journey with a smattering of delusional wonderment. I liked IO CAPITANO, a lot. 

Director Matteo Garrone's is not trying to make a compassionate plea on behalf of refugees fleeing repression. This is a coming of age tale, with the only Hollywood trope being how much of a superhero Seydou will become in our eyes by the final close-up!  10GUMS.