karlos-alastruey

Sirat is a profound meditation on the fragility of the human condition and the illusions of safety embedded in the Western worldview. Oliver Laxe challenges our assumptions of stability, revealing how easily the structures we rely on-both physical and emotional-can be shaken by the randomness of life. Through its stripped-down narrative and haunting visual poetry, the film reminds us of our vulnerability and the urgent need for humility when confronting the unexpected. Sirat is not just a cinematic experience; it's a quiet, powerful wake-up call.

The film also fosters a deep sense of empathy toward those who live in regions marked by material hardship and constant insecurity. By immersing us in a reality so far removed from Western comfort, Sirat dismantles the distance between "us" and "them." It allows us to feel, however briefly, the weight of a life lived without guarantees. In doing so, it encourages a more compassionate and humble perspective toward those whose daily lives are shaped by instability, reminding us that resilience is often born from circumstances we can barely imagine.

This is a superb work by Greek filmmaker Ifigenia Dimitrou. With just a handful of paramount takes, and a very few elements, this filmmaker creates a new universe of her own, and the viewer really is carried out and experiences deep material and spiritual feelings at once: being by the sea, hearing the waves, touching the water, observing the reflecting light - intertwined with memories, regrets, and other wonders of which this film is rich.

Dimitrou knows how to move the camera around (this is an identifying characteristic along her filmography) in order to enhance the experience of the public.

A captivating art work condensed in a few moments, this is really the expression of all the sensitivity of a unique filmmaker.