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

By Isaac Steward

This review contains spoilers for “Io Capitano”

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

I’ve always felt drawn to films with far away settings, high stakes and happy endings. “Io Capitano” has all of these things, and yet it is so incredibly different from what I usually watch. The setting isn’t as far away as we can be tempted to think, the stakes are very real and the ending isn’t as happy as it might seem. All the same, I’m very glad I gave this film a try.

“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 accounts given by African migrants and filmed on location in Senegal, Morocco and Italy, “Io Capitano” weaves a harrowing picture of the very real challenges that migrants are willing to face for the chance of a brighter future. 

Optimistic as they are, Seydou and Moussa are not prepared for the road ahead. After saving up for six months by working in secret, they finally get on a bus heading for Agadez, Niger. We are quickly shown just how difficult it is to travel through Africa, especially with limited money and no passport. Throughout the movie, Seydou and Moussa persevere despite corrupt border patrol, apathetic smugglers, the heat of the Sahara Desert, the Libyan mafia and the Mediterranean Sea, across which, in the climax of the film, Seydou is forced to pilot the boat, full of hopeful migrants like himself. 

At some point in the film, it hits you that the places and events in this movie are very real things that happen everyday, albeit in a “far away place.” Usually, the far away places I enjoy watching or reading about aren’t real places. Obviously, this isn’t the case in this movie. Senegal (which I didn’t even remember was a country until this film) is a real place. Niger and Libya are real places. But as I watched how Senegal, Niger and Libya were portrayed in “Io Capitano”, it struck me just 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 by tomorrow. If someone in Africa wants to come to America, it could cost them everything. 

It seems that anyone who can give a ride or who carries a gun has no issue with taking advantage of these migrants. In the movie, Seydou and Moussa get a ride on a truck through the desert ($400 each), sitting on the cargo bed with a group of other migrants. Along the way, someone falls off, and the driver refuses to go back. The driver doesn’t even take them to Libya, as promised, instead leaving them in the middle of the desert with a guide, 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 our main characters in this film.

Despite everything, the movie does have a happy ending. Seydou and Moussa make it to Italy (spoiler alert), and it’s a very powerful moment, especially considering everything they went through to get there. However, the movie ends before they actually step on Italian soil, and that fact makes you wonder what was really waiting for them there. 

In reality, migrants who make it to Italy haven’t finished their journey yet. Those who do make it to their destination now have to obtain a visa and find a way to support themselves in a completely new culture at the mercy of a new government that may not welcome them. Immigrants often don’t have the same set of rights or access to necessary services, like healthcare and housing. This, along with a lengthy asylum process, can leave migrants vulnerable to exploitation in the workplace, according to the Migration Policy Institute. Knowing the hardships of migrants puts a damper on “Io Capitano’s” happy ending.

Overall, “Io Capitano” is an undeniably captivating film, with a grounded cinematic style and compelling performances by its cast of actors. Having seen it, it’s no surprise that it’s received thirty-four awards and has been nominated for thirty-three more. However, the real value that one gets from watching this movie is a new perspective on a very relevant global issue. 

If you get a chance to watch “Io Capitano,” you absolutely should. 

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