TORONTO (AP) — Oliver Laxe, the spiritually minded, 6-foot-6-inch French-born Galician director, knows that his new film, “Sirāt,” has given him a reputation to live up to.

“When I’m on a plane and things are going bad, I say, “Come on, you’re the director of ‘Sirāt.’ You cannot be scared,” Laxe, 41, says, laughing.

Since its prize-winning debut at the Cannes Film Festival, “Sirāt” has been one the year’s most talked about films. It’s about a father (Sergi López) who, with his 12-year-old son (Bruno Núñez Arjona), is searching for his teenage daughter. After arriving at a remote rave in southern Morocco, where they have no luck, they flee with a small caravan of ravers who ride across a desert expanse.

A primal beat sounds through “Sirāt,” which morphs into an existential journey throug

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