The race to this year's Oscars already has a very clear frontrunner for Spanish cinema: Sirat, the latest feature film by Oliver LaxeIt has managed to break into the top Hollywood contenders with a double nomination, solidifying its surprising international trajectory. The American Academy has included the film in the following categories: Best International Film y Better Sound, two particularly competitive sections in an edition marked by the very strong presence of European and Latin American cinema.
From Madrid, the film crew experienced the announcement live with a mixture of nerves and relief. Movistar Space on Gran VíaWhere journalists and collaborators had been summoned, any doubts about whether it was a good idea to hold a celebration before the verdict was known were dispelled in a matter of seconds. The shouts, the hugs, and the unleashed emotion Upon hearing Sirat's name, they confirmed that Spanish cinema is once again playing in the top division of Hollywood awards.
A double nomination that makes history for Spanish cinema
Laxe's film started with high expectations after having been shortlisted in five categories by the Hollywood Academy: Best International Feature Film, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Sound, and Best Casting. In the end, the nominations materialized in the two categories where it had the best chances, solidifying a result that is already considered a resounding success within the industry for such a risky project.
En Best International FilmSirat will face a quintet of highly regarded and media-savvy rivals. The list includes the Norwegian Sentimental value, by Joachim Trier; the brazilian The secret agent, by Kleber Mendónça Filho; French production A simple accident, directed by Jafar Panahi; and the Tunisian Hind's Voice, which addresses the murder of the Palestinian girl Hind Rajab. Two of these films, Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent, are also nominated for Best Picturewhich gives an idea of the competitive level of the category where Laxe's work has slipped in.
With this double recognition, Sirat joins the small group of Spanish feature films with two Oscar nominationsHe thus shares a club with titles such as Into the sea, Talk to her, pain and glory, Parallel mothers o The Snow SocietyRecent benchmarks for the international projection of Spanish cinema. The last Spanish victory in the international film category remains that of Into the seaIn 2004, a bar that many now dream of reaching again, although Sirat's own team insists on not obsessing over the final result.
The sound of Sirat: a nomination with a female stamp
If there's one nomination that the team particularly highlights, it's that of Better SoundNot only because of the importance of the ambient soundtrack and sound design in a film that delves into the culture rave and in desert landscapes, but because it implies This marks the first time an all-female team has been nominated for this award at the Oscars.The ones responsible are Laia Casanovas, Amanda Villavieja and Yasmina Praderas, who have led a technical feat with far fewer resources than several of their competitors.
In this category, Sirat's work will face off against big-budget productions such as F1, the new adaptation of Frankenstein, One battle after another y The sinnersEven so, within the industry, the merit of a Spanish film, with an auteur approach and a much more modest production budget, having managed to break into these giants is emphasized. Laxe himself has described the achievement as a "feat" and has praised the craftsmanship of his sound team., which he has described as a group of “three artisans” capable of competing with “dinosaurs” of the American industry.
The three nominees have emphasized the symbolic importance of their presence in this category, noting that It is becoming increasingly common to find women in the mixing room and in the technical departmentsBut there's still a long way to go. For them, the ideal scenario would be that in a few years "it won't be unusual to see three women nominated for an Oscar for their sound work."
From the Jury Prize at Cannes to the Hollywood showcase
Sirat's arrival at the Oscars was not an isolated stroke of luck, but the last chapter of a awards season very consistentThe film premiered in the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize and made it clear that its blend of spiritual cinema, family drama, and rave culture resonated with very different audiences.
Since then, the film has been adding milestones. She received two Golden Globe nominations —best foreign language film and best original score—, although it ultimately went home empty-handed at that ceremony. Where it did sweep the awards was at the European Film Awards (EFA), in which he obtained five awards in technical categories, including photography, editing, production design, sound design and casting direction. This European support gave a key boost to his campaign for the Hollywood Academy.
Domestically, Sirat arrives in Los Angeles with a strong case for the film. It's one of the top favorites among the [film critics/audiences]. Goya Awards, where it accumulates 11 nominations, including best film and best directorand it also features strongly in the Feroz Awards. All of this has contributed to the fact that, by the time the American academics sat down to vote, Laxe's title was already well known on the international circuit.
A radical film that leaves no one indifferent.
In a landscape dominated by big franchises and studio productions, Sirat has carved out a niche for itself thanks to a very distinctive personality. Oliver Laxe defines it as “a film that takes no hostages”Radical, risky, with a staging that prioritizes sensory immersion over viewer comfort. Far from being an obstacle, this radicalism has become one of the arguments that has most captivated international critics.
The story follows the journey of a father, Luis (Sergi López), and his young son, Esteban (Bruno Núñez)They venture into the mountains of Morocco and the Sahara Desert to try to find Mar, their eldest daughter and sister, who disappeared months earlier after an illegal rave. Along the way, accompanied by a group of ravers, the film blends... classic adventure film with the spirit of 1970s cinema, the codes of electronic culture and a spiritual reflection on family, loss and community.
The combination of the soundscape—dominated by electronic rhythms and almost hypnotic atmospheres—and the visual power of the natural settings has led many critics to describe it as a “sensory experience” and a “shock therapy”This approach has made it a unique piece within recent European cinema, far removed from both the blockbuster and a certain more conventional intimate realism.
A very carefully planned campaign and the right industrial backing.
Behind Sirat's international impact lies not only a solid artistic proposal, but also a well-structured industrial strategyThe film is produced, among others, by El Deseo, the Almodóvar brothers' company, and is distributed by Neon in the United States, the same company that boosted Parasites even the Oscar for best picture.
Laxe has explained on several occasions that, although the prize campaign is part of the game, For him, the important thing has been to share the film with professionals who "love cinema" and work on every detail like artisans.He speaks of an almost guild-like process, in which the distribution, promotion and public relations teams get involved with a mixture of cultural activism and real enthusiasm for certain works.
This support has allowed Sirat to gain visibility compared to other equally powerful international titles. Although in the final stages of the race some media outlets such as Variety or The Hollywood Reporter predicted the film was at a slight disadvantage Compared to other competitors, the Spanish film remained in almost all predictions as a strong contender for best international film and best sound, which has finally been confirmed with the official nominations.
A highly competitive gala and an atmosphere of apparent conservatism
The overall context of this year's Oscars also influences the interpretation of Sirat's achievement. The sinnersRyan Coogler's film tops the list of candidates with 16 nominations, the highest number in the history of the awardsVery close by is located One battle after anotherPaul Thomas Anderson's political satire, with 13 nominations. Among the ten nominees for best film are also Hamnet, Frankenstein, Train dreams, Marty Supreme, Bugonia, F1, in addition to the aforementioned Sentimental value y The secret agent.
Despite the fact that two non-American films have made it into the top category, Several voices within the critical community suggest that the Academy maintains a more conservative profile than it intends.Examples such as the presence of F1 among the contenders for best film, compared to riskier options like Sirat or A Simple Accident, reinforce the impression that Hollywood continues to reserve the most visible spaces for commercially oriented Anglo-Saxon proposals.
In the category of Best Direction A similar pattern repeats itself. The only international filmmaker nominated is Norwegian Joachim Trier, who joins Paul Thomas Anderson, Ryan Coogler, Josh Safdie, and Chloé Zhao, the latter as only woman in the quintet of directorsIn this context, the fact that a Spanish film with auteur aspirations has managed to carve out a niche in two important categories is perceived in Europe as a sign that there is still room for less conventional works to enter the global conversation.
A restrained celebration with an eye on Spanish cinema
During the event in Madrid, the attitude of Oliver Lax He drew attention for his calmness. Even before knowing the result, the director kept repeating that, for him, the simple fact of having been able to bring an honest film to fruition and share it with the public was already a victory. “We’ve already won here. What we want now is to experience the suspense and enjoy the moment.”"He commented to reporters, aware that Sirat's success transcends any specific awards he may win."
The Galician filmmaker insisted that The joy over the nominations should be understood as a collective triumph for Spanish cinema.He spoke of an increasingly diverse ecosystem, with new voices and proposals from very different genres, and encouraged his fellow professionals to feel these nominations as their own. For him, the greatest reward is that neighbors, family members, and ordinary viewers can get excited about seeing a Spanish film on the most prestigious stage in world cinema.
Meanwhile, the film continues its journey. The Oscar nomination comes just as Sirat prepares to bolster its presence in international theaters, especially in the United States, where The nominations for best international film and best sound represent a decisive boost in terms of audience appeal.With Cannes, the EFAs, the Golden Globes and the Goyas as key stops on a journey that seemed improbable when filming began, Laxe's film now faces its most visible stretch.
In the background, beyond the red carpet and the bets on who will ultimately take home the statuette, there remains a feeling that Sirat has managed to make a significant impact on the awards season: a Spanish film, with a radical spirit and European production, capable of competing head-to-head with the big Hollywood studios and of focusing on a creative team where honesty, risk and collective collaboration weigh as much as awards.
