Matteo Garrone has a knack for explaining through images. The issue of clandestine immigration has been the subject of endless awareness campaigns. Yet, with just three months of filming and a two-hour movie, the director has managed to put the entire population in front of their responsibilities. His latest film “Moi, capitaine” is a film that should be watched and made to be watched as a patriotic gesture.In a world where some people travel the world in search of fortune, others can be content with living in a large family, having just a cup of coffee to start the day, and putting their future in the hands of God. This is beautifully portrayed by Moussa and Seydou, two young Dakar natives, who have been exposed to poverty. “Moi, capitaine” is a must-watch for those who think that the phrase “crossing the desert” is just a succession of meaningless words. The Italian director’s camera adopts a pedagogy that combines humor and real discourse. The two-hour film will go unnoticed as it effortlessly passes between youthful carelessness and the harsh reality of life. It traces the journey of clandestine immigrants from Senegal to Italy, passing through the Sahara desert. From the root causes of clandestine immigration to the harsh reality of crossing the desert, Matteo Garrone explains this phenomenon through images. His camera faithfully translates the story of Mamadou, and through his art, Garrone also conveys the emotions felt by the characters in the film. The silence, at times, in the theater contrasts with strategically provoked bursts of laughter that allow the audience, who came in large numbers last Saturday, to breathe.The story is that of Seydou and Moussa, two 16-year-old Senegalese boys who decide to leave their home country to reach Europe. However, their dreams and hopes for a better life are quickly shattered by the dangers of this journey. Their only weapon on this odyssey will be their humanity. Walking alongside dead bodies, moving on without caring for a fellow candidate who has been injured and abandoned by the group – this is too much to ask of a teenager. And yet, they must endure it. The most shocking aspect of this film is not the worst of situations that migrants are forced to experience in order to reach Europe. It is the fact that their own brothers of the same race sell them to slave traders and that they have to risk their lives and pay exorbitant amounts of money to cross the ocean, as Seydou has to endure. At only 16 years old, without any training, he is entrusted with the lives of others. He has to pay to drive an old dilapidated boat that is not even good enough to be junk, with more people on board than it can handle. This is similar to the theater, which is full of human beings.”I wanted to show the pain that candidates face, and that’s why I made this film. Cinema needs great actors and performers who know how to express emotions. I was fortunate to work with great actors through this film. It’s not just Seydou and Moussa, they all gave a special touch to this movie,” said the Italian director Matteo Garrone.For Mamadou, the man whose story inspired the film, the objective has been achieved. “We should not have to cross the desert to travel. We need to revise the visa application process. It’s unjust. It’s not normal to not have a visa when Europeans can come as they please. Everyone should be free to travel,” he pleaded. While waiting for decisions to be made, this film should be seen by the entire population. Only the reality can tell its own story – it puts everyone in front of their obligations. From parents, to society, to living conditions that must be improved, this film makes us face our responsibilities
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Brought to you by Senegal English Media Group