Óliver Laxe takes “Sirât” to the 2026 Oscars and Barcelona claims its imprint on the film

Barcelona has a place in the Oscar journey of “Sirât”. Óliver Laxe’s film, which became one of the phenomena of Spanish cinema in the 2025–2026 season, reached the 2026 Oscars with two nominations: Best International Feature Film and Best Sound. And although it did not take home a statuette, its journey through Hollywood leaves a clear reading: the project cannot be fully understood without the ecosystem that propelled it from Barcelona.

Laxe, born in Paris and raised in Galicia, trained in Barcelona and attended the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), a key meeting point for his move into cinema. Over the years, that connection has remained alive through producers, technicians, festivals and awards that have placed “Sirât” at the centre of the cultural conversation.

Two nominations and a milestone in Sound

The international focus did not come only from the nomination for Best International Feature Film. “Sirât” made noise, literally, through its Best Sound nomination with an entirely female team, a detail that in Spain was seen as a milestone for the industry and for a generation of professionals already leading technical fields in their own right.

The film competed in a category dominated by major productions, and its presence there was a powerful signal: an auteur work with a distinctive sonic identity could play in the same league. At the 2026 Oscars, the Sound award went to a blockbuster, but “Sirât” came away with something equally valuable for its journey: global visibility and recognition for technical work that people remember when they leave the cinema.

Why Barcelona matters on this journey

Beyond the red carpet, “Sirât” is connected to Barcelona for a practical reason: for years, the city has acted as a training base and professional network for contemporary Spanish cinema. The UPF, the local audiovisual scene and the festival circuit have created a ground where ambitious projects can grow, find allies and reach the international circuit.

That momentum was joined by the awards season at home, with a strong run at galas and honours, and a narrative that positioned “Sirât” as Spain’s title of the moment. In a few words: the Oscar was not the end; it was an amplifier.

What “Sirât” tells and why it has connected so strongly

“Sirât” follows a father and his son searching for a missing daughter on a journey through raves in Morocco, extreme landscapes and a world under tension. It is a film of experience, in which sound and rhythm matter as much as the story. And that is part of its success: it does not simply tell; it puts you inside.

For audiences, it works as an emotional and physical story at once. For the industry, as proof that auteur cinema can be a cultural event. And for Barcelona, as further confirmation that its creative ecosystem is present in the major headlines.

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