“Lifelong ravers” cast for free party scenes in Oscar-nominated film, Sirāt

“Lifelong ravers” were enlisted to star in free party scenes for new Oscar-nominated film Sirāt.

The Spanish film is set to debut in UK cinemas on 27th February and has received an Academy Award nomination for Best International Feature alongside nods in four other categories. Rave culture and its complications is a backdrop to the film’s plot, which follows a father and his son, in search of missing daughter Mar. 

Speaking to Interview Magazine, director Oliver 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.”

The rave took place in the desert in Morocco, and one of the DJs who was invited to play was Spiral Tribe free party affiliate Sebastian Vaughan, better known as 69db. When discussing with the ravers who starred in the film how best to recreate a free party atmosphere, “they told us that the music cannot stop for three days,” Laxe revealed in an interview with The Guardian.

Berlin-based DJ and producer Kangding Ray provides the score for the film. You can watch a trailer below.

Last year, a documentary was released looking at ’90s rave culture and the free party movement.

Read DJ Mag’s 2024 feature on the UK’s thriving free party scene here.