Oliver Laxe's film 'Sirāt' is an existential mystery thriller that ventures into the dark heart of rave culture in southern Morocco. The movie follows a crowd of partygoers as they stack up sound systems for a rave in the desert, where the paths of the protagonists cross for the first time. One of these DJs, Sebastian Vaughan AKA 69db, is a core member of Spiral Tribe, a pioneering British free party collective of the 1990s.
Laxe's intention to portray the death of certain characters in an unusual way has been key to his film's growing cult status. However, he insists that this depiction alludes to the spiritual practice of shedding worldly attachments or the false self to achieve true liberation. This is a universal narrative archetype known as the hero's journey.
Influenced by Sufi mystic Rumi and gestalt psychotherapy, Laxe sees raving and its ego-dissolving effects as a confrontation with mortality. He observes that in these moments of unbridled expression, one can see themselves and their false self for what it is - fake personality - leaving room for true liberation.
To capture the essence of rave culture, Laxe intentionally cast non-professional actors with disabilities to externalise the emotional imperfections of those searching for solace on the dancefloor. He believes that raves offer unique forms of expression, allowing individuals to scream, cry, or fall to the ground without fear of judgment.
The score of 'Sirāt' was crafted by Berlin-based electronic musician David Letellier, AKA Kangding Ray. Laxe reached out to Letellier after discovering his 2014 track Amber Decay and spent five days with him in Berlin listening to music from Steve Reich to Detroit techno. The result is a soundtrack that disintegrates into dark ambient noise over the course of the film.
The score echoes the pain, despair, and anger depicted on-screen as Luis grapples with sudden devastation in his life. In moments of crisis, he finds solace in dancing - an act that resonates deep within him and offers release from his trauma. This is a testament to Laxe's intention of using music to evoke transcendence, even in the face of tragedy and suffering.
Laxe's intention to portray the death of certain characters in an unusual way has been key to his film's growing cult status. However, he insists that this depiction alludes to the spiritual practice of shedding worldly attachments or the false self to achieve true liberation. This is a universal narrative archetype known as the hero's journey.
Influenced by Sufi mystic Rumi and gestalt psychotherapy, Laxe sees raving and its ego-dissolving effects as a confrontation with mortality. He observes that in these moments of unbridled expression, one can see themselves and their false self for what it is - fake personality - leaving room for true liberation.
To capture the essence of rave culture, Laxe intentionally cast non-professional actors with disabilities to externalise the emotional imperfections of those searching for solace on the dancefloor. He believes that raves offer unique forms of expression, allowing individuals to scream, cry, or fall to the ground without fear of judgment.
The score of 'Sirāt' was crafted by Berlin-based electronic musician David Letellier, AKA Kangding Ray. Laxe reached out to Letellier after discovering his 2014 track Amber Decay and spent five days with him in Berlin listening to music from Steve Reich to Detroit techno. The result is a soundtrack that disintegrates into dark ambient noise over the course of the film.
The score echoes the pain, despair, and anger depicted on-screen as Luis grapples with sudden devastation in his life. In moments of crisis, he finds solace in dancing - an act that resonates deep within him and offers release from his trauma. This is a testament to Laxe's intention of using music to evoke transcendence, even in the face of tragedy and suffering.
- all about letting go of that "false self" thingy... i'm not sure if raving is really just a way to find liberation or if it's just a bunch of weirdos dancing in the desert, but hey, at least the music sounds dark and edgy 
. castin' actors with disabilities is cool tho, gotta give props for tryin'. david letellier's score sounds like my computer crashin' while i'm tryin' to watch a rom-com 
- all that ambient noise just adds to the 'i'm about to have a nervous breakdown' vibe 
. On the surface, it's like your typical rave movie, but scratch deeper and you realize it's so much more than that. The way Laxe uses music, especially the score by Kangding Ray, to evoke this emotional journey is just masterful 
. I mean, the use of non-professional actors with disabilities really adds a layer of depth to the story, doesn't it? It's like they're tapping into something raw and honest, you know?
. I love how he frames raving as this confrontation with mortality, where people can shed their ego and find themselves for real. It's like, in those moments on the dancefloor, we're all just stripped bare and forced to confront our true selves 
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. And that score by Kangding Ray? Absolutely haunting 
. It's no wonder Laxe spent five days in Berlin listening to Steve Reich to Detroit techno – that kind of sonic experimentation is exactly what's needed to capture the essence of rave culture.
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. and that score by kangding ray? mind blown 
it's like laxe has somehow managed to bottle up the pain and despair of the characters into this haunting soundtrack... i'm intrigued, but not entirely convinced 
... I mean, who would've thought rave culture could be so deep? It's like, these people are not just dancing for fun, they're actually trying to escape their own demons 
. The way the director portrays the death of some characters is super unsettling, but in a good way? Like, it's supposed to make you think about your own life and stuff... 
. And that score by Kangding Ray is insane! It's like the soundtrack to my nightmares 
... in the best possible way?
And can we talk about Sebastian Vaughan aka 69db? 
And the score by David Letellier (aka Kangding Ray) is literally perfection - it's like the soundtrack to my own rave experiences! 
And I love how he incorporates themes of mortality and ego-dissolving effects - it's like, we gotta confront our own demons, you know?! 
. And that score by Kangding Ray is just mind-blowing 
! Laxe's direction is like, totally immersive and I can see why it's growing this cult status 
The casting of non-professional actors with disabilities is actually really cool tho 
. The way Laxe uses raving as a backdrop to examine mortality is pretty interesting, especially when he casts non-professional actors with disabilities - it adds this layer of authenticity to the story 
. I think what Laxe is trying to say is that in those moments of chaos and uncertainty, we can find a sense of release or transcendence 
. It's like, our true selves are hidden beneath all this facade, and raving offers us a chance to confront that and be free from it 
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but seriously, Laxe's idea to show death as a way to shed attachments is super interesting. its like, raving is this huge release valve for ppl, and the film is saying that by letting go of our egos (or false selves), we can find true liberation... sounds kinda cheesy, but i guess thats what makes it cult status 
. letellier's score tho, thats some dark ambient noise