The Movies That Made Me SIRAT writer/director Óliver Laxe
Feb 10, 2026
Óliver Laxe, a writer-director known for meditative, image-driven films rooted in spirituality and landscape. He discusses Tarkovsky, Bresson and Kiarostami as touchstones. Conversations drift from faith-testing sequences and poetic montage to 1970s genre grit, Sufi-influenced intuition, and the disciplined craft behind shooting and editing Sirat.
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Climaxes Must Resonate On Many Levels
- Laxe highlights the bell sequence in Andrei Rublev as a model for multi-layered cinematic climax.
- He aims for scenes that 'make sound on a lot of levels' so images can enter the spectator physically.
Candle Sequence Inspired Minefield Scene
- Laxe compares a Nostalghia candle sequence to crossing minefields in Sirat to evoke faith.
- He frames Sirat as a rite of passage about controlling ego and trusting even unto death.
Trust Taste Over Over-Explanation
- Trust your taste (doq) and protect images from intellectual over-explanation while making films.
- Use the unconscious to know when a sequence is 'tasty' and heading in the right direction.
