Weekend films

'Sirât', a mystical journey through the desert

Oliver Laxe's fascinating film, which won an award at last year's Cannes Film Festival, has been released in cinemas

by Andrea Chimento

9 January 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

An impressive political product, with some narrative cracks
Last slap

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

A desert journey within the rave culture: this is how one can sum up 'Sirât', the fourth feature film by the talented Oliver Laxe, a Spanish director with French nationality, born in Paris in 1982.

After having participated in the Cannes Film Festival in various sub-sections with his previous films, last year he debuted in competition and won the Jury Prize with this film, which was among the most analysed and discussed films on the French festival's programme.

At the end of an opening sequence where the music is absolutely protagonist, we get to know Louis and Stéphane, a father and son who arrive at an isolated rave in the middle of the desert, surrounded by dust and incessant electronic music.

They are there to look for Marina, daughter and sister, who disappeared months earlier during one of those parties that never seem to end. With a photo in their hands and hope in their eyes, father and son plunge into a world they do not know, amid hypnotic rhythms and young people in a trance, escaping the rules of everyday life. In the midst of tents, fires and the silence of the desert, they decide to join a group of young people on their way to a last, mythical festival in the heart of the Sahara.

With its constant audiovisual bombardment, which follows the rhythms of rave culture and the fascination of desert scenarios, 'Sirât' is a mystical journey, in which the spectator is called upon to participate in the search for this mysterious girl of whom only a few images remain.

If he had already shown some of his talent with his previous works, Laxe reaches full maturity here with a film in which he demonstrates a great ability to handle shots and the rhythm of editing.

“Sirât”e gli altri film della settimana
Photogallery4 foto

An impressive political product, with a few narrative cracks

What is most striking about 'Sirât' is its powerful political nature, with this group of characters fleeing from civilised society and at the same time also from an announced Third World War that remains, ominously, in the background.

The concluding sequence also effectively follows in this wake, while along the way there are unfortunately a few unsuccessful passages in the writing, mainly due to a series of incidents that do not appear credible enough for a product of this type.

Something creaks here and there, but the power of the message and the images manage to overcome these limitations, particularly because the vision remains original and strongly unconventional throughout.

For all these reasons, it could become a small cult following over time.

Ultimate slap

A pleasant surprise is also the new film by Matteo Oleotto, 'Ultimo schiaffo'.

The protagonists are a brother and sister, young mountain handymen, struggling with a life of uncertainty and a future that seems increasingly unattainable. The two live in the ice of an isolated and hopeless village. Determined to renovate the old family home overlooking the lake and turn it into a trendy restaurant, they come up against harsh reality. Money is needed, and fast. The opportunity seems to arrive with the mysterious disappearance of a dog, Marlowe, and the promise of a hefty reward.

A curious Christmas black comedy, this film mixes comedy and tragedy in a brilliant and intelligent manner.

More than ten years after 'Zoran - My Dumb Nephew', Oletto thus returns to work for the cinema with an anomalous and engaging product, which only suffers from a few lapses in the central part. Instead, the conclusion is remarkable, as is the construction of the characters on stage, multifaceted and written with the right depth.