A father and son search for a missing daughter across a desert war zone.
In short: In the 2025 drama Sirāt, a desperate father joins a group of ravers in the Moroccan desert to find his missing daughter. As a global conflict erupts, the group faces land mines, mechanical failure, and profound loss in a film described as both hypnotic and deeply radical.
Directed by Óliver Laxe, Sirāt follows Luis, played by Sergi López, as he and his son Esteban traverse the deserts of southern Morocco. Their journey begins as a search for Luis’s daughter, Mar, but quickly transforms into an existential struggle for survival when radio reports confirm the outbreak of a conflict resembling World War III. The group, composed of non-professional actors cast by Nadia Acimi, must navigate a landscape fraught with danger, including minefields that claim the lives of several companions.
The film’s production was as arduous as its narrative. Shot on Super 16 mm film by Mauro Herce, the crew battled intense heat and sandstorms in Morocco, with one storm destroying much of their equipment and necessitating extensive reshoots. To meet funding requirements, the team also filmed in Spain, utilizing locations in the provinces of Teruel and Zaragoza that stood in for the Atlas and Anti-Atlas mountains. The final result is a sensory experience, underscored by an electronic score from Kangding Ray.
Critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with the film earning universal acclaim and a Jury Prize at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. Critics have compared its visceral, road-movie aesthetic to works like Mad Max and Zabriskie Point, while praising its ability to balance intimate human grief with cosmic, apocalyptic stakes. By late 2025, the film had secured international distribution across numerous territories, cementing its status as one of the most significant cinematic releases of the year.
Beyond its technical achievements, Sirāt is noted for its unconventional casting and improvisational spirit. Laxe, who initially conceived the project as a simple story about trucks crossing the desert, retooled the script to focus on rave culture and human connection. The film’s ending, which sees the final survivors crossing the desert on an ore train, leaves audiences with a haunting reflection on the nature of the journey itself.
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