"Laxe's uncanny Sirat, which in Islam means the bridge that spans over hell, is a sensory experience that all but keeps you unmoored and unstable throughout. It opens in an off-putting yet seductive way, a dance party of sorts to the accompaniment of a thrumming, hypnotic score from electronica wiz Kangding Ray."
"The extended rave scene establishes the tone in a film that refuses to parallel park into a specific genre or, for that matter, stick to storytelling norms and expectations. Laxe, who has made other unique features, has both a distinct vision and voice. He's a filmmaker interested in rooting around in universal themes about faith, death, the future and our own salvation and redemption."
"Some films you just engage with passively for around two hours. You watch and you forget. Not so, Laxe's Sirat. You bring it home with you. The journey reroutes you toward an unforeseen destination that's open for interpretation, as is much of the rest of this heady film."
Sirat follows Luis and his son Esteban searching for his missing daughter in Morocco, where they encounter a group of ravers and join their journey through the desert. Director Oliver Laxe creates an immersive experience that defies genre classification, opening with an extended, ecstatic rave sequence accompanied by hypnotic electronic music. The film explores profound themes of faith, death, salvation, and redemption while maintaining an ambiguous, open-ended narrative. Nominated for two Oscars, Sirat uses its haunting Moroccan setting and powerful sound design to create a disorienting yet captivating experience that lingers with viewers long after viewing, refusing conventional storytelling expectations.
#experimental-cinema #moroccan-setting #sensory-filmmaking #philosophical-themes #unconventional-narrative
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]