Spanish director Óliver Laxe’s desert-road drama “Sirât”, fresh from winning the Cannes Jury Prize, has sparked a flurry of territory sales. Sales company The Match Factory sealed a North-American deal with Neon, U.K.–Ireland rights with Altitude and a multi-territory pact with Mubi for Italy, Turkey and India, alongside agreements covering Latin America, Benelux and most of Europe.
The 115-minute feature follows a father and son combing the Moroccan expanse for a daughter who vanished after a rave. Produced with backing from Pedro Almodóvar’s El Deseo and shot on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar, the film mixes professional performers such as Sergi López with first-time actors. Spanish distributor BTeam will release it on 6 June, with France to follow on 3 September. At Cannes Laxe said the story aims to “re-enchant” audiences in bleak times, adding, “Times are tough but they’re very stimulating at the same time”.
While the Jury Prize—shared with Mascha Schilinski’s “Sound of Falling”—boosted market appeal, critical opinion remains divided; Screen International’s jury grid logged an average score of 2.5 out of four, near the lower end of this year’s competition titles. Even so, the award extends a remarkable streak: every one of Laxe’s four features has premiered at Cannes, and each has taken home silverware, including the Critics’ Week grand prize for “Mimosas” (2016) and the Un Certain Regard jury prize for “Fire Will Come” (2019).
Neon intends a late-year U.S. release positioned for awards consideration, a strategy analysts say reflects renewed confidence in auteur-driven cinema as global buyers snap up a film that marries austere visuals with spiritual urgency.
