Ascension

Name: Ascension
Genre: Documentary
Released: October 8, 2021
Duration: 97 min
Rating: 84

2021

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 13 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Ratings

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6.2

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6.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Ratings

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Ascension (US Trailer 1)

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Movie Details & Credits

MTV Documentary Films | Release Date: October 8, 2021 | Not Rated

Summary: Ascension explores the pursuit of the "Chinese Dream." This observational documentary presents a contemporary vision of China that prioritizes productivity and innovation above all.

Director: Jessica Kingdon

Genre(s): Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 97 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Peter Debruge

Apr 5, 2022

It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer scale of her project, and it’s Kingdon’s work as editor that makes Ascension such a remarkable achievement. She organizes all these disparate scenes into a logical upward progression, and even though we seldom know where we are or who exactly we’re observing, these foreign situations are relatable, engaging and often unforgettable. Read full review

100

The Telegraph Tim Robey

Jan 14, 2022

As a giant window on all this toil, the film is full of news, insights and revelations without pushing a dogmatic thesis: it’s as open-ended and humanly interested as documentaries get. Read full review

The Playlist Warren Cantrell

Jun 19, 2021

Stylistically, Ascension borrows from the city-symphony genre at times, with long stretches passing without any dialogue as the camera whips past and through recycling depots, cell phone assembly lines, and poultry plants. There are no talking heads in the picture or any camera-facing reflections to guide the audience along a narrative, making it less cinéma vérité and more direct cinema in style. It is an effective approach. Read full review

Josh Kupecki

Oct 14, 2021

Focusing her camera on the rising cogs in the machine of China’s insatiable consumer culture, Jessica Kingdon expands on her 2017 short “Commodity City” with the visually stunning feature Ascension. Read full review

The Observer (UK) Staff [Not Credited]

Jan 16, 2022

Accompanied by a lithe, organic score by Dan Deacon, which weaves the rhythms of industry and technology into the music, the film is a mosaic portrait of the realities and repercussions of “the Chinese dream”. Read full review

The Guardian Cath Clarke

Jan 11, 2022

Part of the film’s genius is in how the images are put together, sometimes to absurd effect, at other times unnervingly. Read full review

Beatrice Loayza

Oct 7, 2021

This aestheticization of Chinese society doesn’t exactly sit well with this viewer: one wonders if this counts as a kind of tourism. Read full review

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User Reviews

dullurd

Mar 26, 2022

By far, the most interesting and educational film I've seen this year. The lack of narration and interviews makes it a much more immersive and less preachy experience than it could have been (though there were one or two stylistic choices that I felt were needlessly heavyhanded).

VisualsBy far, the most interesting and educational film I've seen this year. The lack of narration and interviews makes it a much more immersive and less preachy experience than it could have been (though there were one or two stylistic choices that I felt were needlessly heavyhanded).

Visuals are gorgeous from start to finish, and it shows aspects of Chinese culture that I was completely unaware of prior to watching.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SayreTX

Sep 9, 2023

A revelatory look at modern life in industrial China, from the lowest tiers of society to the most elevated. A must-watch film for anyone who wants to better understand this global competitor, and the cost that humans pay to supply us with cheap goods.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Brent_Marchant

Jan 27, 2022

"The Chinese Miracle," with its astounding economic growth in a relatively short time, has inspired awe around the globe, and the nation's zealous adherence to "the Chinese Dream" has contributed significantly to that outcome. Similar in nature to the American Dream, the Chinese version is"The Chinese Miracle," with its astounding economic growth in a relatively short time, has inspired awe around the globe, and the nation's zealous adherence to "the Chinese Dream" has contributed significantly to that outcome. Similar in nature to the American Dream, the Chinese version is driven by a belief in hard work and dedicated diligence as a pathway to affluence. But, as director Jessica Kingdon's excellent new documentary effectively shows, is that dream attainable or illusory? The film clearly depicts China's relentless drive for perfection and success in all endeavors, showing how supposed opportunities for advancement are available at virtually all levels of the economy. However, do those opportunities genuinely translate into hoped-for outcomes, or are they merely ploys to squeeze out peak performance from naive underclass workers who believe the promise and are willing to do whatever it takes to get ahead? Meanwhile, the film also illustrates the opulent degree of privilege that comes with wealth, but is this something that everyone can realistically share in, despite assurances to the contrary? The picture's inventive cinematography, frequently backed only by the movie's engaging score and minimal dialogue, an approach reminiscent of prior visually focused documentary works like "Koyaanisqatsi" (1982) and "Samsara" (2011), shows more than tells in conveying these themes, immersing viewers in imagery designed to profoundly conveying these intents. For all these strengths, though, the narrative tends to stray somewhat at times, especially toward the film's end, but that's easily overlooked in the picture's overall context. What's perhaps most significant, however, are the parallels between what's transpired in China and what appears to be unfolding here in the US as it begins modeling itself more after its overseas competitor as a means to keep pace. And that should be a caution to all of us before we fall prey to illusory notions ourselves.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

bertobellamy

Mar 23, 2022

'Ascension' puts us into the middle of the Chinese dream, an aspiration that, of course, is all about success. Director Jessica Kingdon employs zero narration and lets the images speak for themselves. Throughout the film, she explores the life, dreams, and frustrations of workers and rich'Ascension' puts us into the middle of the Chinese dream, an aspiration that, of course, is all about success. Director Jessica Kingdon employs zero narration and lets the images speak for themselves. Throughout the film, she explores the life, dreams, and frustrations of workers and rich people in modern China. It's very interesting to see how wealth isn't the true objective of the Chinese, but being recognized as the one who pulled it off. That's what we see during the influencer workshops scenes, where hundreds of people desperate to build a fan base are taught to sell any kind of product — and it's very shocking to remember how much trash are we capable of producing.

There's a voyeuristic sense in 'Ascension' that allows Kingdon to make no judgment of this way of life — not that different from the western one when you think about it —, but there are moments where a little context would've helped expand on the general idea of the documentary.

Nevertheless, this is a somewhat successful experiment that immerses you in a complex society and its crushing but effective work culture.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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