A normal 22 year old boy, who dreams of becoming a famous footballer. Seydou Sarr confirms with disarming simplicity his identity and his dreams. He has learned to speak an almost perfect Italian: this seems to be his only change after almost a year from the set of Matteo Garronewho dragged him dal Senegal all’Italiawith a trip to Los Angeles, where I Captain has run for the Oscar as best foreign film, and first at the Venice Film Festival, to collect the Mastroianni Award for best new actor. A few days ago he also won the Silver Ribbon together with Moustapha Fall and Paolo Del Brocco, CEO of Rai Cinema who co-produced the film. Precisely with the latter, Seydou Sarr opened The terrace of San Casciano dei Bagni, retracing the events of the film and focusing on the “journey” told with a magical and realistic touch.
The set with Matteo Garrone, the international success, the awards: does the emotion rise?
«I’m happy, of course, but I remain a normal person because cinema wasn’t my dream. All this is for my mother, who did theater and had to stop due to an eye disease that took away her sight. When I was 4 or 5 I played acting with her. When I was called by Garrone I wanted to leave it alone. “I don’t know how to make films,” I told her. But she replied “Try it, you never know”. I did it for her, who didn’t have this opportunity.”
On the set of Garrone he was pushed by his sister…
«Khadija, who now lives in Naples, dragged me there. A friend of hers, who does theater in Senegal, had told her about a casting for boys under 18. She proposed it to me and I accepted, with little conviction. In fact, on the morning of the casting I had breakfast and went to play soccer, as usual. I had forgotten the appointment at 8. At 10 Khadija found me at the pitch and took me to the audition: we arrived last. There were more than 200 boys in line in front of me. If it hadn’t been for my sister, I would have left».
Has he changed his mind now? Do you choose cinema or football?
“Both, if possible. If I have to choose, soccer continues to be my dream. Now I’m training for next season: I’m still young, I hope to join an important team. In the meantime I’m playing with the Italian actors’ national team.”
Favorite Italian team?
«Roma. I took the Italian Cup to the Atalanta-Juventus final. But I support Roma.”
He never stopped playing…
“In Senegal I went to school and played football with my father. He died of cancer at 57 in my arms, eight months before my first take. His death made me an adult. As the only male of four children I had to take on responsibilities. I had been called up by a football team but I didn’t go; I started working as a bricklayer.”
However, he never thought about sailing towards Europe.
“No. I confess it wasn’t easy, but I never dreamed of getting on a boat, also because my mother said ‘Don’t go, it’s dangerous, think of me. Don’t give up, one day you’ll make it’.”
Is his future in Italy?
«I like Italy. In July I will be joined by my mother, who remained in Senegal with my younger sister. To accompany her again I will return to Senegal, which I carry in her heart. Now I’m in Fregene, at Matteo’s mother’s house: you can say that the Garrone family has adopted me. Matteo is like a father to me: on set he encouraged me and gave me the chance to be myself. They say that if you’re natural you can’t make cinema; It wasn’t like that for me.”
He was scared?
«On the first day yes, when I saw huge cameras and lots of people around. But there were also my mother and my sister, who told me “Don’t worry, natural, don’t look into the room”. I can say that I have the gift of acting and I didn’t know it. I recognized it when I saw myself on the screen. My mother was also in Venice: she didn’t see anything, she heard the applause and she cried a lot.”
Is there another director you would like to work with?
«I don’t know many. I only watched the Rambo movies and the series The paper house. I would like to make a film with Omar Sy, who is Senegalese like me, and very good. His Lupin I really liked it. Now I’ve finished a documentary for the Lega Calcio: let’s hope it goes to Venice.”
Have you visited Tuscany?
“So far I’ve only been to Florence for one day: beautiful. When I was in Senegal, a friend who lives in Milan showed me pictures of Italy: I wanted to come, but I didn’t know how to do it.”
Do you have friends who have sailed on boats?
“No. When I was on set in Morocco I heard many stories from those who actually took that trip; giving them a voice was my motivation.”
What do you hope will change with the success of “Io Capitano”?
«The film gives the opportunity to look reality in the face. You have the habit of only seeing boats arriving in the Mediterranean. But behind it there is a need for freedom. If you live in Senegal you see Europe as a promise but you can’t buy a ticket and leave: there is a fundamental injustice that prevents you from traveling and being free.”
