SIRAT

Sirāt is an Arabic word referring to the bridge spanning the chasm between heaven and hell, thinner than a thread and sharper than a sword. In Laxe’s film, Luis, a middle-aged Spaniard, along with his son Esteban, embarks on a search through Morocco for his missing daughter Mar, who has disappeared into the rave culture five months previously.  Luis and Esteban are first seen at an illegal gathering in the Moroccan desert after which, accompanying a rag-tag group of ravers, they embark on a challenging journey through the Atlas Mountains and the surrounding wilderness where the significance of the title becomes abundantly clear.

The award-winning visuals were deliberately shot on Super 16mm film, using harsh natural lighting to deliberately avoid modern hyper-definition, with the resulting film grain creating a texture mirroring the intense heat and dust of the stunning landscape.

Sirāt, a hypnotic, visceral odyssey and the director’s finest work to date, has won a number of awards:

Cannes Film Festival

• The Jury Prize (Oliver Laxe)
• Cannes Soundtrack Award

European Film Awards

• Cinematographer (Mauro Herce)
• Editor (Cristóbal Fernández)
• Sound Designer (Laia Casanovas, Amanda Villavieja, Yasmina Praderas
• Production Designer (Laia Ateca)
• Casting Director (Nadia Acimi, Luís Bértolo, María Rodrigo)