Ascension (2021)
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 97 minuten
Alternative title: 登楼叹
Country:
China
Directed by: Jessica Kingdon
IMDb score:
7,0 (4.437)
Releasedate: 8 October 2021
Ascension plot
'Ascension' is an impressionistic portrait of China's industrial supply chain that reveals the country's growing class divide. In just a few decades, China has changed from a poor country with a closed society to one of the world's largest and most influential economies. What happens to people when their country undergoes such drastic reforms in a short period of time? Some have come to previously unimaginable riches, while in other parts of the country millions still live in poverty. Through observations of labour, consumerism and wealth, the documentary examines what living the so-called 'Chinese dream' is like today.
Reviews & comments
mrklm
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- 11629 messages
- 10041 votes
I ascend and look far into my heart, only to find everywhere already razed”, is the quote from a 1912 Chinese poem by Zhang Ze, Jesccia Kingdon’s great-grandfather. In this monumental documentary by the Chinese-American Kingdon, we get a remarkably candid insight into current Chinese culture that makes it clear to us how simple Chinese people try to work their way up and how all kinds of institutions try to stimulate personal ambitions and profit from them. The opening shows how companies use old-fashioned market traders (with loud voices and enticing one-liners) to entice potential employees to come and work for them. Sedentary work is a luxury, wearing a company uniform is often a necessity. Later, we see how state-run companies hammer home their vision of discipline on the work floor and what it really is like. Finally, we get a glimpse behind the scenes of personal training in (inter)national etiquette. There is no commentary, but the actions, comments and looks of those involved speak volumes. Sometimes shocking, sometimes bewildering, sometimes hilarious (the sequence in a sex doll factory is a definite highlight) and often visually stunning.
Translated from Dutch · View original
james_cameron
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- 7060 messages
- 9825 votes
Strange guys, those Chinese. That is once again evident from this impressively filmed documentary that focuses on the current economic growth spurt of the country. There is no voice-over and almost no music; the images speak for themselves. Not all fragments are equally interesting and certain scenes could have been left on the editing table, but for the most part this is a fascinating and slightly alienating portrait of a culture that is currently subject to enormous changes.
Translated from Dutch · View original
K. V.
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- 4376 messages
- 3777 votes
A somewhat special documentary, since there is hardly any speaking. He really has to do it from the images and the music, although this was not so present either. It was worth seeing once.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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