Seydou and Moussa - teenage cousins from Senegal - dream of a life as professional musicians in Europe. They disobey their parents’ wishes and run away from home, aiming for Italy. But their journey towards the Mediterranean Ocean proves more arduous and tragic than they could possibly have imagined - a journey of unscrupulous human traffickers, perilous desert crossings and devastating obstacles.

Matteo Garrone (Gomorrah, Dogman) directs this humanistic portrait of the migrant experience. In portraying the two boys’ dangerous journey in such detail, he asks the audience to directly confront a reality all too often relegated to impersonal headlines and political rhetoric. This is a film of deep compassion, capturing the tragedy, turmoil and overriding sense of hope so many migrants experience.