The movie Sirat starts with a simple premise, but the execution packs several heart-thumping unexpected punches.
The movie opens on a rave in North Africa. A massive bank of speakers pounding out the beat. The dancing audience, transfixed.
As the music hits your own heart you begin to wonder if there’ll ever be a reprieve. Enter Luis (Sergi Lopez) and his young son looking completely out of place.
The pair wander through the throng of bodies passing out leaflets showing a photo of a young woman, their daughter and sister. Luis is on a simple quest to find his daughter thought to have disappeared at a rave.
As the credits rolled I pondered:
- The story is simple and the dialogue minimal. The music does the heavy lifting. It perfectly sets the tone and keeps the audience intrigued. A reminder that you don’t need a lot of words to tell a gripping story;
- The movie needs to be seen on the big screen. Sure, the locations are stunning but equally impactful are simple images, like large vehicles moving through a pitch-black desert night;
- Halfway into the movie I was wondering whether anything was going to happen, but the second half definitely made up for it. I was literally holding my breath at one point and the whole audience jumped at several others;
- Lopez is convincing as the grieving father;
- The Max Mad style crowd adds a heavy dose of cool;
- Ultimately the movie touches on grief and reminds us to be thankful for what we have and stop chasing something more.
For more information go to Perth Festival. Running from Jan 19 to 25, 2026.
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