Seyoud and Moussa are two teen cousins living in less than optimal conditions in Senegal, dreaming of a better life. They finally decide to forge ahead with the ultimate goal of traveling to Italy. The road is a tough one though. After forging passports and nearly being caught by the police, they brave many challenges on their quest for a better life like searing hot deserts, insurgents who imprison and torture them, and even navigating the tumultuous Mediterranean Sea without assistance. Will Seyoud’s and Moussa’s arduous journey to Naples pay off?

Io Capitano is a harrowing film that takes on an almost mythical context as we follow these boys in their journey to a better life. What director Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah, Tale of Tales) has given us here is perhaps his most visually assured film of his career with sweeping vistas of sand and water that immerses the viewer in the intense situations the boys find themselves in. Io Capitano also has a narrative thrust and momentum that surges forward, always grasping for that freedom they so ardently desire. Despite its epic, almost Hollywood-like scope and emotional heft, the film is also anchored in the bitter realities that Seyoud and Moussa must face. Garrone doesn’t shy from the harsh climate of the desert, showing fellow travelers perishing from exhaustion and dehydration. The depictions of imprisonment and torture in the Libyan prison are unflinching as well. We don’t get a sense of plot armor for these characters. This isn’t a fairy tale. When they are separated, we don’t know if they will ever see each other again. This earnestness and clarity of purpose with a powerful story of survival is why Io Capitano works and works well. For Garrone, this truly does feel like a labor of love, co-written by him and based on his own original idea that he gleaned from interviewing actual migrants from impoverished African countries. While the film isn’t based on any specific person’s journey, it rings true.

The transfer that Cohen has provided here is wonderful, highlighting Paolo Carnera’s excellent cinematography with colors that pop and look vibrant during the wide outdoor shots without compromising on the deep black levels and detail in the dark sequences like those of the Libyan detention center sections. For audio we are offered both 5.1 and 2.0 stereo options in the characters’ original speaking languages of Wolof and French. The 5.1 track in particular has a nice sense of immersion with environmental ambience spread to the rear channels. It’s not an action-heavy film, so don’t expect your sub-woofer to get a real workout. Regardless, it’s a nice audio track that does what it needs to. For the primary extras on the disc, we get two Q&A segments with the director and cast taken from the screenings of the film. The cast can be a bit hard to understand since English is their second language (and one of them requires a translator) but the information gleaned about the making of the film is useful even if there is a little overlap between the two segments. Also included is a theatrical trailer.

Io Capitano is a great film that depicts a sweeping journey capturing hope of a better life from a confident and invested filmmaker at the top of his game. The attention it garnered from its nomination of Best International Film at the Oscars last year I think gave it much deserved exposure, and here’s hoping it can find a further audience on blu-ray.