Sean Penn and Joaquin Phoenix "who complimented me on my interpretation? I didn't know how to react, I didn't know them before... I had never thought of making films, my dream has always been football... In fact, when I met Chiellini for the I cried and would really like to meet Dybala."
Seydou Sarr, the 19-year-old debuting protagonist of I, Captain, tells it with a hint of a smile, connecting from Los Angeles together with the film's debuting co-interpreter, Moustapha Fall for a meeting on the emotions they experience on the eve of the Oscars, where Matteo Garrone's feature film on the contemporary Odyssey of two boys who leave Dakar to arrive in Europe, are competing for the statuette for best international film.
Still a little sleepy (it's morning), calm and tired from the weeks of promotion, full of events, in Hollywood, the two young Senegalese don't seem to feel too much pressure from the ceremony: "I take things as they come, there are more people around us to feel a little anxious. Clearly we dream a little about winning, but it's really difficult, even if we deserve it" underlines Seydou.
The friend is equally incredulous: "my dream has always been to come to America and being here is a bit like closing the circle. I wanted to be an actor, but I never imagined I would find myself as a star going to the Oscars. Now I'm starting to prepare for the evening... and it makes me happy to be able to wear new clothes" explains Fall who also loves the world of fashion: "Here I met various stylists, it was wonderful".
The long period in Los Angeles was tiring but exciting ("we learned many things and the warmth that comes from the people who saw the film is exciting"), but also difficult, "because we are without mom and dad".
Their families fully support them, "they are very proud of us" they explain.
For the ceremony "as Muslims, we entrust ourselves to fate, they will certainly also make some prayers... to accompany us to the event. In this period they are supporting us a lot and have given us advice to avoid getting lost" in all this.
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