Io Capitano

Two Senegalese cousins, Seydou and Moussa, set out from Dakar for Europe. The route runs through Mali, Niger and Libya to the Mediterranean. Along the way there is the desert crossing, prisons run by smugglers and forced labour. At the end Seydou, who knows nothing about boats, has to pilot one to Sicily. Matteo Garrone directed. The film draws on real migrant journeys. It was made for 11 million euros and shot in Senegal, Morocco and Italy over thirteen weeks, with non-professional actors cast in Dakar. At Venice, Garrone took the Silver Lion for direction and Seydou Sarr won the Marcello Mastroianni Award. It won eight David di Donatello prizes including Best Film and was nominated for Best International Feature at the 96th Academy Awards. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 96 percent, with critics praising the cinematography and the emotional authenticity. Who it is for: viewers who want migration shown through one boy's face rather than through news language. Who it is not for: anyone who cannot sit through the torture and slavery in the Libya section. The film does not soften it.