{"id":88606,"date":"2025-06-25T07:25:47","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T07:25:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ccmagazine.es\/?p=88606"},"modified":"2025-06-25T07:25:47","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T07:25:47","slug":"sirat-by-oliver-laxe-a-sensory-journey-to-the-edge-of-the-desert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ccmagazine.es\/en\/sirat-by-oliver-laxe-a-sensory-journey-to-the-edge-of-the-desert\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cSirat\u201d by Oliver Laxe: a sensory journey to the edge of the desert"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sir\u00e2t<\/em> means “the path”<\/em>, more precisely “the narrow bridge from hell to paradise”<\/em>\u2014a powerful metaphor framing the film\u2019s emotional journey. It is an original production by Movistar Plus<\/em>, in collaboration with El Deseo<\/em>, Filmes Da Ermida<\/em>, Uri Films<\/em>, and 4A4Productions<\/em>. The screenplay was written by Oliver Laxe and Santiago Fillol.<\/p>\n

In “Sirat”<\/em>, Laxe<\/em> guides us into extreme territory: the vast Moroccan desert, illegal trance parties, pain, music and a fractured family, centred on Luis (Sergi L\u00f3pez)<\/em>, a father traversing kilometres in search of his missing daughter, and his son Esteban (Bruno N\u00fa\u00f1ez)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A visual spectacle in full scale<\/h6>\n

Shot on Super 16 mm by Laxe<\/em> himself, the film embraces the desert\u2019s scale with overwhelming intensity. Much of the footage unfolds in long takes, where the desert becomes the main character: dry, gleaming, relentless.<\/p>\n

The cinematography captures a nearly static texture\u2014the shimmering heat, dust in the air, colours dissolving into the horizon\u2014but also reaches near-frenetic energy during the rave scene. These contrasts, between contemplation and sensory explosion, construct a unique multisensory experience. The camera lingers from the dusk rave in the opening shot right through the final train sequence, where landscape and community merge in a luminous, painful farewell.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s compelling is that “Sirat”<\/em> doesn\u2019t sensationalise or moralise. Instead it demands our presence with the characters, compelling us to feel discomfort and reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been the end of the world for a long time.\u201d Tonin<\/h2>\n
The soundtrack: the film\u2019s beating heart<\/h6>\n

If the visuals are brutal, the sound is even more so. The blend of techno and natural ambience\u2014wind, engines, cries, heartbeats\u2014creates an immersive atmosphere that begs for volume. In Cannes, Laxe<\/em> opted for Dolby Atmos<\/em> for the premiere\u2014a masterstroke.<\/p>\n

“Sirat”<\/em> is a film you feel in your chest. From the pounding bass of the rave to the silence signalling tragedy, every sound is calibrated to reverberate.<\/p>\n

Performances that transcend the script<\/h6>\n

The human core of “Sirat”<\/em>\u00a0blends professional and non-professional actors. It feels intentionally cast: the mix of polish and raw authenticity works to emotional precision.<\/p>\n

Sergi L\u00f3pez<\/strong><\/p>\n

The experienced Catalan actor gives a minimalist, profound performance where pain seeps in without theatrics. It\u2019s as if he has swallowed the desert itself.<\/p>\n

Bruno N\u00fa\u00f1ez Arjona<\/strong><\/p>\n

The boy who barely acts is Esteban<\/em>. His inquisitive gaze, restrained sorrow, and emotional rapport with L\u00f3pez<\/em> form one of recent cinema\u2019s most believable duos. His small frame becomes an emotional anchor.<\/p>\n

Non-professional ravers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stefania Gadda<\/em>, Jade Oukid<\/em>, Jos\u00e9 Liam Henderson<\/em> and Tonin Janvier<\/em> appear with magnetic presence. Without formal acting training, they embody themselves, which intensifies the film\u2019s realism.<\/p>\n

Sensory narrative rather than traditional storytelling<\/h6>\n

“Sirat”<\/em> unfolds more like a ritual than a story. Laxe<\/em> opts for intuition\u2014I treads the road-rave movie terrain where each sound, frame, footstep in the dust adds another layer of meaning.<\/p>\n

Though some viewers have criticised the lack of narrative development\u2014“thin character arcs”<\/em>, “empty aesthetics”<\/em>\u2014that was part of its design. From its first rave to the tragic finale, it\u2019s a dance between sacred and chaotic, communal and intimate.<\/p>\n

Slow-motion tragedy<\/h6>\n

No spoilers: the ritual ends in tragedy. No plot twists, just an inevitable descent, like stepping over a ledge without looking. Death, betrayal, loss\u2014sudden and devastating. The group navigates a literal and emotional minefield where each decision carries weight. “Sirat”<\/em> observes, without drama. Tragedy hits unannounced, as a natural outcome of existing as outsiders\u2014moving instinctively, risking without safety nets. Sometimes fate favours you, sometimes it doesn\u2019t. When you accept that, you accept everything.<\/p>\n

The ravers of Sirat are not just partygoers; they live the journey<\/h6>\n

Their way of being in the world is constant flight\u2014a search for something beyond the map. When tragedy arrives, they accept it as part of the journey, even if it breaks your bones.<\/p>\n

Context and political resonance<\/h6>\n

“Sirat”<\/em> won the Grand Jury Prize<\/em> at Cannes. It emerges at a time of intense search for freedom and systemic critique. Laxe<\/em>, known for his political and spiritual cinema, positions the desert as a mirror reflecting humanity, emptiness, and communal resilience.<\/p>\n

It invites reflection on modernity, rave culture, and anti-system resistance\u2014and confronts audiences with body, territory, ritual and trance.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife is a path that has turns; it has alleys on both sides. Life shakes you; it doesn\u2019t knock at the door.\u201d Oliver Laxe<\/h2>\n
Why Sirat matters<\/h6>\n

It is a sensory experience:<\/strong> merging sound and image with unignorable physicality.<\/p>\n

It revolutionises narrative:<\/strong> favouring trance over story arc.<\/p>\n

Rare amalgam<\/strong> of polished and genuine performances.<\/p>\n

Visually powerful:<\/strong> frames etched into memory.<\/p>\n

Politically and existentially charged:<\/strong> a sublime meeting of form and substance.<\/p>\n

It influences contemporary cinema<\/strong>\u2014opening new paths for the visual, sonic and ritual to unite.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h6>\n

“Sirat”<\/em> isn\u2019t a film to drift alongside\u2014it\u2019s a slap of hot dust, an echoing bass, and the sky\u2019s indifference to tragedy. It\u2019s beautiful in every moment. A film that must be screened IN CINEMA, at full volume, to be felt in the bones.<\/p>\n

At its core, “Sirat”<\/em> is a hymn to cinema as total experience\u2014and to a director who is profoundly spiritual and radical. Oliver Laxe<\/em> and his team have created an unforgettable work that propels cinema into a realm where the sensory and the human are inseparable.<\/p>\n

For those curious, here\u2019s the soundtrack link<\/a> \u2014 highly recommended.<\/p>\n

(*)<\/strong> Images: BTEAM Pictures.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sir\u00e2t means “the path”, more precisely “the narrow bridge from hell to paradise”\u2014a powerful metaphor framing the film\u2019s emotional journey. It is an original production by Movistar Plus, in collaboration with El Deseo, Filmes Da Ermida, Uri Films, and 4A4Productions. The screenplay was written by Oliver Laxe and Santiago Fillol. In “Sirat”, Laxe guides us […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":88432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5904,5903],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cinema","category-culture-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n\u201cSirat\u201d by Oliver Laxe: a sensory journey to the edge of the desert<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ccmagazine.es\/en\/sirat-by-oliver-laxe-a-sensory-journey-to-the-edge-of-the-desert\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"\u201cSirat\u201d by Oliver Laxe: a sensory journey to the edge of the desert\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Sir\u00e2t means “the path”, more precisely “the narrow bridge from hell to paradise”\u2014a powerful metaphor framing the film\u2019s emotional journey. 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