“The world’s slowest horror movie” is how I described Sirāt upon exiting. What is essentially a buddy road pic will, by the conclusion, turn into a scarier film than any Halloween or Friday the 13th could hope to be. And it did so under the most surreal of circumstances. I paid little attention to the definition disclaimer at the outset. Sirāt is the “bridge that connects Hell and Paradise,” which is to say it’s the tightrope that treads both worlds. That, however, turns out to be an apt description of a film where nothing turns into a mindfuck in the span of two seconds. And it does this multiple times.
I had no idea there were Morrocco raves. But here we are in the North African country with EDM, an eternal bass, and a sea of counter-culturists. It looks like Burning Man or the Electric Daisy Carnival, except it’s … wrong; these people aren’t partying to party. This seems to be their life as if existence itself is one big subwoofer and an endless sway. Perhaps, I’m misinterpreting, but I don’t think so.
There are party crashers. Luis (Sergi López) and his pre-pubescent son Ernesto (Bruno Núñez Arjona) don’t care about the rave. They just want their missing daughter/sister back. This part was very important for me, because it drives the action for the rest of the movie, but while Luis insists with flyers and conviction, that his child can be found at this rave, the audience is never shown why Luis thinks this. Normally, this would be a throw away plot point, “just accept it, man.” But when Luis cannot find the girl at this rave, he grows hopeful when a group counter counter-culturists report that there’s another rave “near Mauritania.”
WHAAAAA?
And this become all too important when the army breaks up the omni-purgatorial dance party and Luis breaks off with the splinter group to go throw the one ring into the fires of Mount Mauritania or whatever, because that is the entire rest of the film: a three vehicle caravan through the wilds of Morocco, heading “south,” or into the jaws of Hell, wherever Sirāt is.
The painful part? I can’t really describe anything beyond this point, because it comes too late in the film. The next hour is a collection of middling adventures with well-meaning oddballs on a path where no one can answer me: “Why are you doing this?” And I do mean no one. None of these people seem to have a job or a life or anybody to care for them other than the members of their immediate world. There’s a certain satisfaction in that, but … why? Why do you need to go “near Mauritania” just to sway in the desert to ultrabass? It’s like following the Grateful Dead around … which I get, but that trek doesn’t generally involve a good chance of death. Or does it? I’m not sure.
I’m not knocking the hobby; I’m just wondering where
it ends, if it ends, is there anything anywhere for you to get back to, and how did life get to be that way? And none of you look like billionaires; how long is this trip gonna last? You can see now why I think Luis’ motivations are so important. Why are you following this directionless group? Why do you think these guys will lead you to your daughter?
I will never know those answers.
Sirāt is a challenging film. You have to pay attention and you will question every decision, especially in retrospect. I found it a little “out there” and too shy on explanation to love, but I understand why it got nominated for Best Foreign Film. It won’t win. But I understand.
There once was a lost father, Luis
Who went searching to find inner peace
For his daughter was gone
And the road he trod on
Was the ultimate reality release
Rated R, 115 Minutes
Director: Oliver Laxe
Writer: Santiago Fillol, Oliver Laxe
Genre: WTF?!
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: People out for a mindscrew
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: The rest of us
