Directed by Oliver Lopez, Sirat follows Luis (Sergi Lopez) and his son, Esteban as they embark on a mission. Stepping deep into the Moroccan desert, they arrive at a rave as they search for their daughter (and sister), Mar. Having disappeared months ago, Mar’s family have exhausted themselves in their quest to find her and, amidst the pounding sounds of electronic music, Luis is beginning to lose hope. However, when a group a ravers set out to attend one last party in the desert, Luis and Esteban insist that they’re coming along as well. But, as their journey takes unexpected twists, the burning heat forces them to confront their own fears and trauma.
To put it mildly, Sirat may elicit the most guttural reactions from audiences of any film this year. Beginning as simple quest for family, Laxe’s journey into the wilderness shifts tones so dramatically that one cannot help but engage the film emotionally. This is the sort of project that seems to break all the rules of cinema. Stories we’re made to believe are of importance are abandoned. Characters are killed off at random. (Without giving spoilers, even if you think you can guess who will survive to the film’s finale, you likely cannot.) But, while other films would be flawed for this approach, its willingness to tear down our expectations of storytelling actually somehow increases its effectiveness. Sirat knows that there’s an unpredictability to this world and it’s willing to expose it with reckless abandon.
In fact, it’s possible that Lopez believes that the only response is to dance. Featuring a pounding baseline soundtrack that is easily one of the year’s best, Sirat uses dance as a method of dealing with their own pain. Here, their experience of the rave feels like a political act. With every heavy beat, one cannot help but empathize for these characters are beaten down themselves.
Sirat is playing at TIFF ’25. For more information, click here.
