22/03/2022 - The director has kicked off filming in Senegal on his new movie, which is produced by Archimede with Tarantula and based on a tragic story of immigration

A modern-day Odyssey traversing the perils of the desert, the dangers of the sea and the ambiguities of human beings: this is how Matteo Garrone’s hotly anticipated film Io capitano [+see also:
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film profile] has been described by its production team in a press release announcing the commencement of filming these past few days in Dakar, Senegal. The film shoot will also unfold in Morocco and Italy over a total period of 13 weeks.

This Italian-Belgian co-production is a Homeric tale recounting the adventurous journey of two youngsters, Seydou and Moussa (newcomers Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall), who leave Dakar for Europe. The screenplay was penned by the director himself, alongside Massimo Gaudioso, Massimo Ceccherini and Andrea Tagliaferri, based on an idea also offered up by Garrone.

The director of Pinocchio [+see also:
film review
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interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile] (selected for the 2020 Berlinale and the winner of 5 David di Donatello awards), Dogman [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile] (which saw Marcello Fonte crowned Best Actor in Cannes 2018 where the film was selected in competition; it also nabbed 9 Davids and 2 EFAs), Tale of Tales [+see also:
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trailer
Q&A: Matteo Garrone
film profile] (in competition in Cannes 2015, awarded 6 Davids and 1 Italian Golden Globe), Reality [+see also:
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interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile] (bagging Cannes’ Grand Jury Prize in 2012, as well as 3 David di Donatello awards) and Gomorrah [+see also:
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interview: Domenico Procacci
interview: Jean Labadie
interview: Matteo Garrone
film profile] (the winner of Cannes’ Grand Jury Prize in 2008, also reigning triumphant at the David di Donatello awards and the EFAs), to name just a few of his works, found inspiration for his film in the real-life stories told by Kouassi Pli Adama Mamadou, Arnaud Zohin, Amara Fofana, Brhane Tareke and Siaka Doumbia, all young people who actually made the journey embarked upon in the film.

The movie’s photography is by Paolo Carnera – who previously worked on brothers Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo’s three films, among others - editing is entrusted to Marco Spoletini, set design to Dimitri Capuani, costumes to Stefano Ciammitti and sound design to Mirko Perri.

Io capitano is produced by Archimede together with RAI Cinema, in co-production with Tarantula and in collaboration with Pathé. International sales are managed by Pathé International.

(Translated from Italian)