Director: Matteo Garrone
Two teenage cousins leave Dakar with nothing but each other and a shared plan to reach Europe, and the road there costs far more than they imagined.
What is The Captain about?
Seydou and his cousin Moussa set out from Senegal determined to cross into Europe, chasing a future neither of their families can offer at home. What starts as a journey soon turns into a test of endurance: the crossing of the Sahara, the risks of unregulated detention facilities in Libya, and finally the open water separating North Africa from the continent they're trying to reach. Director Matteo Garrone frames the trip less as an adventure than as a modern odyssey, following Seydou's transformation from a hopeful teenager into someone who has survived things he never expected to.
Cast & crew
Seydou Sarr carries the film in the lead role, playing a young man whose resolve hardens with each stage of the journey, while Moustapha Fall plays his cousin and closest companion through the ordeal. Issaka Sawadogo and Hichem Yacoubi appear as figures the pair encounter along the route, and the supporting cast, largely first-time performers, brings a grounded authenticity to a story built on real migration routes.
Context & significance
Released in 2023 as a Belgian, French, and Italian co-production, the film reconstructs a journey that mirrors the experience of thousands of young migrants who have made similar crossings in recent years. Garrone shot extensively on location, and the 122-minute runtime follows a deliberately linear structure, letting each leg of the trip accumulate weight rather than compressing the ordeal into a single dramatic beat.
Where & how to watch
The film streams on K-Time with Persian dubbing and Persian subtitles, and this editorial page is free to read without an account; watching the film itself requires only a quick K-Time login, part of a Farsi-first experience built for the diaspora audience, with both audio and subtitle options selectable from the player.