Ascension 2021
Distributed by Grasshopper Film, 12 East 32nd St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016
Produced by Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy, and Nathan Truesdell
Directed by Jessica Kingdon
Streaming, 97 mins
College - General Adult
China; Globalization; Human Rights; Industrial Production
Date Entered: 06/03/2022
Reviewed by Kara Van Abel, Reference Librarian & Liaison to the Collat School of Business, University of Alabama at BirminghamAscension opens with clips of employers standing on Chinese roads soliciting workers. Age and tattoo restrictions are proclaimed over loudspeakers, while air conditioning and dorms are lauded as benefits. Thus, the stage is set for the film which takes viewers on a bird’s eye journey through modern day, industrial China. Factory work is repetitive, and managers reign supreme proudly making comments of “No more chit chat or I will sell you off.”
Next, the film delves into the attitudes and work culture that has created this environment. Women receive training on how to modernize themselves. Business etiquette classes tell women to “look gentle and beautiful” and only show the upper eight teeth when smiling. Men train as bodyguards in an extremely abusive setting. We learn that the explosive economic growth has created extreme economic disparities.
The film, Ascension, creates a visceral response from its audience through the use of wide camera angles and long shots. The film simultaneously draws the viewer in and then makes them want to turn away. Also unique is a soundtrack that creatively incorporates industrial sounds in a way that helps to build the narrative.
The scenes interweave the machinery and workers, blighted landscapes and waste, luxury entertainment and natural environment in a way that makes it impossible to watch the film and remain impassive. This film is highly recommended for educators who want a beautifully crafted film that captures an unflinching look at a rapidly changing society.
Awards:Best Documentary Feature and Albert Maysles Award, 2021 Tribeca Film Festival; 2021 National Board of Review Awards’ Top 5 Documentaries; Best Documentary Feature, 2021 Hamptons International Film Festival; Special Mention Best Documentary, 2021 Denver Film Festival; Cinema Eye Honors’ Outstanding Debut, Outstanding Cinematography, & Outstanding Original Score; 2022 Academy Award Nominee, Best Documentary Feature
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