Journey to the End: Oliver Laxe's New Film 'Sirat' Explores a Collapsing World

In Oliver Laxe’s latest movie 'Sirat', a dialogue between two characters explores the concept of the end of the world, stating that "it’s been the end of the world for a long time". This grim sentiment pervades 'Sirat', set in a dystopian near-future and centers on a group of party-goers traversing the Moroccan desert in pursuit of one final rave. Home for this eclectic gang is an aged caravan filled with essentials necessary for survival; their community is the people they encounter on their journey to the dance parties. At times, they catch news updates on escalating conflicts, dwindling resources, and disintegrating diplomatic ties, painting a bleak picture that mirrors the challenges of our current world.

Having premiered at Cannes, 'Sirat' represents Laxe’s fourth appearance at the esteemed film festival. His films have previously gathered accolades, and Sirat is his first film competing in the main event, offering a stirring contemplation on loss and potential in a world on the brink of devastation. Despite its often dark and mystifying message, the film is aesthetically pleasing thanks to its slow-paced landscape shots. The narrative, co-written with frequent collaborator Santiago Fillol, explores transient characters grappling with different types of losses on both personal and societal scales. The desert backdrop provides an ideal environment for these reflections, emphasizing the enormity of the emotions and the insignificance of the individual within the broader world.

Drawing parallels with recent global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and escalating climate change, 'Sirat' concentrates on society's general discomfort with the concept of death, which is often met with denial rather than acceptance. French-born with Galician roots, Laxe consistently addresses this in his works, with one of his films focused on escorting a corpse to its final resting place, while another observed a just-released arsonist and the impending cultural death.

'Sirat' kick-starts and concludes with different forms of losses. It begins with the male leads, Luis (Sergi Lopez) and Esteban (Brúno Nuñez) seeking Luis's daughter Mar amongst the crowd of ravers. The remainder of the movie follows their pursuit of the daughter, eventually finding themselves amongst a group of hardened ravers. The unfolding journey is reminiscent of the post-apocalyptic novel Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler.

Laxe's film reaches its quintessential essence as the crew navigates the parched Moroccan terrains with their grueling beauty and significant scale. However, the film loses some of its narrative clarity towards the end, with Laxe resorting to literal metaphors and genre-type spectacle to articulate his theories about death. Despite these drawbacks, 'Sirat' is an invigorating film, resolute in its quest to shake us awake.