Sirāt Trailer: Oliver Laxe’s Desert Rave Thriller Set to Release in February

      A remarkable blend of Sorcerer and Mad Max, Oliver Laxe's desert rave thriller Sirāt, which showcases a true vision of originality, rightfully earned the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Following a festival circuit filled with shock and praise, including five shortlist nominations for the 2026 Academy Awards (Best International Feature for Spain, Best Casting, Best Cinematography, Best Music for Original Score, and Best Sound), the film is set to hit theaters on February 6 after a qualifying run last year. A new trailer has been released ahead of its debut.

      Here’s the synopsis: “A father (Sergi López) and his son venture to a rave deep within the mountains of southern Morocco. They are in search of Mar – their daughter and sister – who disappeared months ago at one of these endless, sleepless parties. Amid the electronic music and an intense, unfamiliar freedom, they repeatedly distribute her photo. As hope dwindles, they persevere and join a group of ravers heading to one final party in the desert. Their journey deeper into the burning wilderness compels them to face their own limitations.”

      Rory O’Connor remarked in his Cannes review, “For French-Spanish filmmaker Oliver Laxe, a chance to compete in Cannes has long been anticipated. Laxe previously presented films here in 2010 (You All Are Captains), 2016 (Mimosas), and 2019 (Fire Will Come) without leaving empty-handed, and he now rises to the challenge with Sirāt, his most ambitious and grand work to date: a bold, auteurist arrival that feels more common here than at any other festival. The narrative unfolds in Morocco, the setting of Laxe's initial two films, and centers on a father searching for his daughter amid the dust and drugs of an illegal rave scene in the Atlas Mountains. There’s a tantalizing echo of Paul Schrader’s Hardcore in that premise, but Sirāt leans more towards William Friedkin’s Sorcerer and even Mad Max: a tale of a mismatched group attempting to maneuver monstrous vehicles across a landscape so harsh, it could very well be hell. If I see a better film at Cannes, it will have been an exceptionally good year.”

      In a recent interview, Laxe shared, “I’m not sure if I fully grasp the soul of my characters. That's my goal, yes, but what I can access are their wounds and traumas through imagery. When you achieve that, you don’t need to develop a character in the way that screenwriting guides suggest. I don't need to articulate the trauma with words. My visuals communicate that because they are vibrant, not flat; they evoke emotions. I'm fascinated by psychology. In my personal life, I’m studying Gestalt psychotherapy and exploring the various forms of neurosis that people experience. I consistently analyze individuals from a psychological viewpoint. I believe that imagery can transcend psychological boundaries.”

      Check out the trailer and poster below.