Cast of "lifelong ravers" enlisted for Oscar-nominated thriller film Sirāt

Director Oliver Laxe has said that he enlisted a cast of "lifelong ravers" as extras for free party scenes in the new Oscar-nominated thriller film Sirāt.

The Spanish film, which is set for release in the UK on February 28, is currently receiving awards season buzz for its depiction of the "dark side" of rave culture, including an Academy Award nomination for Best International Feature.

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Speaking to Interview Magazine, Laxe said: "We organised a real rave. Everyone knew they were being filmed. The music didn’t stop for days. At some point, I felt we had enough images."

Sirāt follows a father and his son, in search of his daughter amid a "semi-mythical" rave in Morocco. The film's score was created by Berlin-based producer Kangding Ray, AKA David Letellier.

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In an interview with The Guardian, Laxe said that he created his own desert rave for the film, asking hundreds of "lifelong ravers" to travel to the desert for the scene. One of the DJs who played at the fictitious free party was Spiral Tribe's Sebastian Vaughan, AKA 69db.

To capture the "true nature" of free parties, Laxe also consulted ravers on how to best present the film's party. “They told us that the music cannot stop for three days," he said, "and we were really pleased with this idea."

[Via: The Guardian]

Megan Townsend is Mixmag's Deputy Editor, follow her on X