The acclaimed Catalan co-production Sirāt concluded its impressive awards season without a win at the 98th Academy Awards. Despite securing two prestigious nominations, the film left the star-studded Los Angeles ceremony empty-handed.
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Óliver Laxe’s visually arresting film was a strong contender for Best International Film, but the coveted statuette ultimately went to the Norwegian drama Sentimental Value, directed by Joachim Trier. The Catalan feature also lost out in the Best Sound category to Joseph Kosinski’s high-octane racing film, F1.
The nominations alone, which Barna.News reported in January, were celebrated as a significant moment for Catalan cinema on the world stage. However, the wins proved elusive on a night dominated by Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which scooped six awards including Best Picture.
A Familiar Rivalry
The victory for Trier’s Sentimental Value continues its successful run against Sirāt this awards season. The Norwegian film, which follows two sisters reconnecting with their estranged father, had already triumphed over Laxe’s work at both the BAFTA Awards, where it won Best Non-English Language Film, and the European Film Awards, where it claimed four top prizes including Best Film and Best Director.
Despite the outcome, Sirāt’s director, Óliver Laxe, was gracious in defeat. Speaking to reporters after the ceremony, he offered warm congratulations to his Norwegian counterpart.
“I am happy for him, very happy. He is an exquisite man, a great filmmaker, and he deserves it,” Laxe said.
Conan O’Brien hosted the ceremony, where Laxe wore a watermelon-shaped pin in a gesture of solidarity with the Palestinian people. He praised the presenter for Best International Film, Javier Bardem, for his on-stage call for “no to war and free Palestine.” “Bravo, I thought it was incredible,” Laxe commented. “The way he stood his ground – that is what it means to be an actor. He turned heads at the gala.”
The Sound and the Fury
While the Best International Film category was highly competitive, a quiet optimism surrounded Sirāt’s chances in the Best Sound category. Laxe himself admitted he had hoped for a win here, but acknowledged the formidable competition.
The award went to the American blockbuster F1, a production from Apple Studios. “We were competing against Apple,” Laxe noted. “But even competing with a film like that is already an achievement.”
The Catalan sound engineering team, comprising Laia Casanovas, Amanda Villavieja, and Yasmina Praderas, had previously told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that their nomination represented a historic milestone. They highlighted the growing international recognition of Catalonia’s technical film talent, regardless of the final result.
A Season of Accolades
Though it missed out on an Oscar, Sirāt does not return home without honour. The film, a hypnotic tale of a father searching for his missing daughter amidst rave parties in the Moroccan mountains, has enjoyed a phenomenally successful run.
Its journey began with the Jury Prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and continued with a sweep of technical awards at the European Film Awards, where it won five prizes including Sound and Cinematography. Domestically, its success was even more pronounced, collecting eight awards at Catalonia’s Gaudí Awards and six at Spain’s prestigious Goya Awards.
The night’s other major winners included Michael B. Jordan, who won Best Actor for his role in Sinners. This film contributed to a record-breaking year for nominations. Jessie Buckley also secured Best Actress for her performance in Hamnet.
