L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2 2023 www.italoamericano.org 4 M atteo Gar- rone, class 1968, from R o m e , c a r v e d a significant place for himself in contemporary cinema. It all started almost 30 years ago, i n 1 9 9 6 , w h e n h e w o n the Sacher d'Oro for his short Silhouette, which later became part of his first full- l e n g t h f e a t u r e , T e r r a d i Mezzo (Land in Between) in 1997. Garrone's filmmaking is often seen through a lens of realism, shedding light on social issues in a visually per- suasive way. These character- istics fully emerged in 2008 with Gomorrah, a film that e a r n e d h i m B e s t D i r e c t o r accolades at the European Film Awards and the David di Donatello Awards among others. Gomorrah is a stark, unflinching look at the crimi- nal underworld of Naples, which explores the complex, violent, and often tragic lives of those involved in orga- nized crime; its gritty real- ism, compelling storytelling, and profound social com- mentary were a hit with both audience and critics, making it a critical and commercial success. Gomorrah not only elevat- ed Garrone's status in the international cinematic arena b u t a l s o s i g n i f i c a n t l y strengthened his popularity in Italy, where he was praised for his ability to tackle seri- ous social issues with a deft, artistic touch. His subse- q u e n t f i l m s , R e a l i t y ( 2 0 1 2 ) , T a l e o f T a l e s ( 2 0 1 5 ) , a n d D o g m a n (2018), continued to garner recognition, with Reality winning the Grand Prix at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival a n d b o t h T a l e o f T a l e s and Dogman being selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Fes- t i v a l i n 2 0 1 5 a n d 2 0 1 8 respectively. Me Captain (Io Capi- t a n o ) , h i s l a t e s t e f f o r t released in 2023, delves into the harrowing experiences of migrants striving for a better life in Europe. Its narrative is rooted in real-life stories, inspired by the odyssey of s e v e r a l i n d i v i d u a l s f r o m Africa to Europe, and reflects the broader themes of migra- tion and the human pursuit o f b e t t e r o p p o r t u n i t i e s d e s p i t e p e r i l o u s c i r c u m - stances. The film articulates the lesser-seen phases of the migrants' journey, providing a v i s u a l f o r m t o a n o f t e n obscured reality: it follows two young Senegalese boys, Seydou and Moussa, inter- preted by Dakar-born Sey- d o u S a r r ( 1 7 ) a n d Moustapha Fall (18), who dream of going to Europe. To do so, they leave their coun- try to face the desert, a deten- tion center in Libya, and the c r o s s i n g o f t h e M e d i t e r - r a n e a n S e a . G a r r o n e w a s inspired to write the screen- play after visiting a refugee shelter in Sicily, where he came across a 15-year-old boy who had been pushed to steer a boat carrying 250 people across the Mediter- ranean without any navigat- ing experience. The choice of cast, particu- larly young Sarr and Fall as the protagonists, adds a layer of authenticity to the narra- tive. Their performances, which were fully based on a g e n u i n e a f f i n i t y w i t h t h e characters they portrayed, resonated with the audience and transformed Me Cap- tain into a conduit for empa- t h y , u n d e r s t a n d i n g , a n d reflection on a global issue that continues to shape the human experience. Garrone himself under- lined the importance the two young actors had in his cre- ative process: "I made this film with them and always sought to draw inspiration from their stories when I wrote the screenplay. Even during the filming, all the extras you see are people who took this harrowing journey to Europe. For me, it was very important to have them always by my side because I wanted to tell an honest and t r u e s t o r y , r e s p e c t i n g a l l those who went through this ordeal." The film had its worldwide premiere at the Venice Inter- national Film Festival in Sep- tember 2023, where it was honored with the Silver Lion for Garrone's direction and Matteo Garrone brings Italy to the Oscars SILVIA NITTOLI NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Garrone on the set of Me Captain (Photo courtesy of Pathé Films) CONTINUED TO PAGE 6

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