Catalan movie 'Sirât' to represent Spain at Oscars

The Catalan movie, 'Sirât,' directed by Oliver Laxe, will represent Spain during the next edition of the Oscars, as announced by the Spanish cinema academy on Wednesday midday.

Oliver Laxe's most radical film is a Catalan co-production that was already distinguished at the Cannes Film Festival with the Jury Prize. It was the first time that a Catalan movie was in the race for the Palme d'Or. 

The film, starring Sergi López and released in cinemas last June, tells the journey of a father and his son to find their daughter at a rave in the Moroccan mountains.

Spanish director Pablo Berger, behind the 2024 Oscar-nominated Robot Dreams, was the person in charge of opening the envelope in front of journalists to announce the movie that would represent Spain on the international competition.

Competing against 'Sirât' to represent Spain were two other films with Catalan links, such as Carla Simón's latest work, 'Romería,' and 'Sorda' by Eva Libertad - a big winner at the Malaga Film Festival.

Laxe's fourth feature film will now start its Academy Awards procedure and will compete to be among the 15 best international feature films shortlisted by the US Academy. The announcement is scheduled for December 16, and the final five nominees will be announced on January 22.

The movie will be distributed by Neon, one of the most influential organizations in the US' independent cinema, and responsible for hits such as 'Parasite,' 'Anatomy of a Fall,' and 'Anora.' The company will be responsible to bring the movie to US cinemas during this fall.

The last time a Spanish movie was nominated for Best International Feature Film was in the 2024 edition for J. A. Bayona's 'Society of the Snow.' The film lost against the United Kingdom's 'The Zone of Interest.'