Senegalese Actor Seydou Sarr Wins the Marcello Mastroianni Award

Senegalese actor Seydou Sarr wins the Marcello Mastroianni award for best young actor for his role in, lo Capitano, a Senegalese film about two young boys’ journey from Africa to Europe. The film won the Golden Lion award for best film at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.

Io Capitano (Me Captain), directed by Matteo Garrone, tells the story of Seydou and Moussa, who leave Dakar to reach Europe. Their journey takes them through the horrors of detention centers in Libya and the hazards of the sea.

Io Capitano was inspired by the real-life story of Mamadou Kouassi, who collaborated on the script. Kouassi shared with Garrone the story of his dangerous trip to Italy when he was only 20 years old.

“This journey is really being told, first of all, as I experienced it,” Kouassi said.

The film’s win is a major victory for Senegalese cinema, which has been gaining international attention in recent years.

Io Capitano is the latest film to tackle the issue of immigration from Africa to Europe. The film’s win comes at a time when the issue is becoming increasingly politicized in Europe.

"There is the ritual counting of the living, of the dead. Over time, you get used to imagining these people as numbers and you lose sight of the fact that there is a world behind it. There are families with dreams, there are many wishes. I hope that this film can help to open a dialogue about this issue,” Garrone said. “It’s a very important issue, and it’s one that we need to talk about.”

The Venice Film Festival is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. The festival’s Golden Lion Award is considered to be one of the highest honors in cinema.