CANNES – When Oliver Laxe’s “Sirât” begins, it presents itself somewhat straightforwardly. Louis (Sergi López) and his young son Esteban (Bruno Núñez Arjona) have ventured to a dance festival deep in the Moroccan desert. They are searching for their daughter and sister Mar, a family member they haven’t seen in five months. Most importantly, her father telegraphs immediately that he’s willing to go to extremes to find her, even if she doesn’t want to be found (something no one wants to consider).
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Louis and Estaban have a short interaction with a band of mostly Spanish rave nomads, who, like everyone else they have met, do not recognize Mar’s picture. As he has with other projects, Luxe recruits nonprofessional actors for the majority of the cast, including two with visible disabilities. They also almost to a person go by their real first names. There is Bigui (Richard Bellamy), Stef (Stefania Gadda), Josh (Joshua Liam Henderson), Tonin (Tonin Janvier), and Jade (Jade Oukid). This crew informs Louis that Mar could be headed to another rave after this one in the desert. A dance party is also on their agenda. He’s intrigued.
When the Moroccan Armed Forces arrive to shut down the festivities, it’s for legitimate reasons. The country’s major cities have been attacked, and the Army is trying to get E.U. members to safety. As the soldiers peacefully direct a caravan of trucks and cars out of the area, the nomads create a distraction and turn down a different road to escape the evacuation. Louis makes a split-second decision and, much to his surprise, follows them, hoping they are heading to this other big dance party where Mar could be. The nomads, who travel in modified trucks, are initially wary of Louis and Estaban attempting to tag along in their (assumed) rental van. However, they slowly welcome them into the fold as it’s revealed they are headed towards Morocco’s coastal neighbor, Mauritania.
Considering what transpires next, divulging any more of the film’s narrative would be a crime of epic spoilers. We’re genuinely cognizant of how we even refer to the events that occur, knowing it could diminish the overall cinematic experience. What you should know is that as the film unfurls, there are more and more hints of what is going on in the “real” world. When one of the noamds suggests World War III has finally happened, their family member succinctly replies, “It’s been the end of the world for a long time.”
From a creative standpoint, Laxe and cinematographer Mauro Herce use 16 mm film to tantalizing effect with perhaps the most beautiful images of vehicles crossing a desert since “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Just as salient is Kangding Ray‘s original electronic score, which masterfully captures the contemporary dance festival scene before pulling heartstrings the further the movie gets from those giant festival speakers. Once released on streaming, this score will be many people’s personalities for weeks on end, and we won’t be mad at it.
Throughout this journey across North Africa, Laxe peppers the film with moments that touch on pertinent themes such as the power of a chosen family, Western society’s naive self confidence when confronting the environment, and perhaps most poignantly, the fallacy that because we have so little control, we can dance away as the world crumbles around us. Laxe argues there is no dancing to the end of the world. There is only death, and when it comes, it will tear you to pieces. [A-]
NEON has acquired “Sirât” and expects to release the film in the U.S. sometime this fall.
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