Page 146 - Metropolis Megazine No.120 International

SIRÂT

ORIGINAL TITLE
Sirât
DIRECTOR
Oliver Laxe
STARS
Sergi López
Bruno Núñez Arjona
Stefania Gadda
COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN
Spain, France
RUNTIME
115 min.
YEAR
2025

In Oliver Laxe's film, «Sirât», 2025 (Jury Prize at soundtrack is dominated by sounds controlled by
the 2025 Cannes Film Festival), an enigmatic word one or more DJs seeking to create a hypnotic
stands out, meaning “the right path” or “the road” atmosphere supported by the musical simulacrum
in the language of the Arab peoples, a concept that of heartbeats, rhythms capable of making
can be applied to both the material and adventurers in search of prolonged moments of
metaphysical contexts. In fact, Islamic doctrine brilliance dance in a frenzied manner. Sweat, dust,
attributes to the word Sirât a mediating value heat, drugs, and vapours of sexual ecstasy mix in a
between hell and paradise. It would thus be a kind human mass where the faces and masks of those
of limbo where the bridge that crosses hell is who are there to experience new ways of being and
found. A bridge, sharp as a blade, which souls must existing are revealed, and the rope of life is pulled
cross on Judgement Day. In the film, we can to the limit of limits. Each participant in this
deduce that the use of the word was another way dance of paroxysms journeys on a winding "path"
for the director and co-writer to emphasise the to the end of the world, guided by a "road" that
purely abstract nature of the story he wanted to propels them towards the most bizarre alternative
tell. This is a work of fiction with no specific date scenarios. It remains to be seen whether it is
or geographical location, although we know that pre- or post-apocalyptic. However, suddenly the
the narrative takes us to somewhere in the rave is interrupted by soldiers who, in their fragile
Moroccan desert, where we soon discover that a martial appearance, do nothing more than divert
rave is being organised. In the first few minutes, the hundreds of participants to another location,
we see the preparation and assembly of gigantic once again somewhere else and never clearly
sound systems, followed by a semi-documentary defined. But what really stands out about their
approach to the festive event, dominated by the presence, repressive as it may be, is the feeling
repetitive dynamics of techno music. The that the country (the region, the world, who

146 METROPOLIS JULY 2025