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Ascension

Play trailer Poster for Ascension 2021 1h 38m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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98% Tomatometer 49 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
An impressionistic exploration of the pursuit of wealth and the paradox of progress in the People's Republic of China, Ascension examines what living the so-called "Chinese Dream" looks like today.
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Ascension

Ascension

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Critics Consensus

Ascension's patiently observational approach pulls back the curtain on consumerism and economic inequality in modern China.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Debruge Variety 03/28/2022
No matter what your image of modern China, it’s nowhere near complete until you’ve seen it through New York-based, China-observing director Jessica Kingdon’s eyes. Go to Full Review
Tim Robey Daily Telegraph (UK) 01/13/2022
5/5
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. Go to Full Review
Danny Leigh Financial Times 01/13/2022
4/5
Crucially, the film never patronises. Is anyone learning anything westerners haven't learned too, just less explicitly? Go to Full Review
Josh Parham Next Best Picture 06/05/2022
7/10
The analysis is rich but more respected on an intellectual level instead of one that is genuinely moving, particularly as there isn't a natural flow to the pacing here. Go to Full Review
Sean P. Means The Movie Cricket 04/17/2022
3.5/4
An eye-popping mosaic portrait of a nation on the move, though unsure of what exactly its moving toward. Go to Full Review
Tim Brayton Alternate Ending 03/31/2022
4/5
An extraordinarily confident feature-length debut. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Xavier P 12/12/2024 Interesting and all-encapsulating documentary on modern China. The narrative structure of classes is smart and although the film has presented certain subjects in a slightly biased way, it does portray the country's modern landscape to a relatively objective degree. When consumerism, the Internet economy, population gain, academic devaluation, and the increase in the need for various goods contribute to the concept of the "Chinese Dream", people of different classes, regardless of gender or background, try their best to improve their “value” in this competitive society economically, professionally, or socially. See more Yang S 02/04/2023 非常典型的新左翼知识分子视角,通过大量异质、疏离的影像,试图形成对于"被资本主义侵蚀的中国"的一种观察。可惜的是这种冷眼旁观的视角终究只能为观众提供"悲悯的俯视"和"不屑的仰视",更为复杂且模糊的平视、自视被导演有意无意地忽略掉了。不过这些电视新闻以外的记录镜头,对于中国人和外国人来说终归都是有益的。 See more dave d 11/24/2022 I loved this immersive portrait of Chinese culture and the idea of the "Chinese Dream" as is so rarely displayed. Jessica Kingdon's documentary feature breaks down the supply chain, how workers are recruited, and what people do in what little spare time they have. It is fascinating. China comes off as a technologically advanced country with early 20th Century values which is not a good thing. If you are in any way intellectually curious about a land that has plans to take our the world economy this should be immediately placed on top of your watchlist. Final Score: 9.4/10 See more Ethan T 11/18/2022 A beautiful and chilling documentary that shows the cycle of innovation and progress within China, Loved the combination of cinematography and music, and the observational approach allows the audience to soak every image in and pull meaning from it rather than having it given to us. See more 07/26/2022 Seems almost everything has already been said. But seriously; am I the only one here who has ever seen and remembers Koyannisqatsi? See more 06/23/2022 I liked the "inside look" at a range of jobs and relative lifestyles…all that is not available to outside visitors. See more Read all reviews
Ascension

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Movie Info

Synopsis An impressionistic exploration of the pursuit of wealth and the paradox of progress in the People's Republic of China, Ascension examines what living the so-called "Chinese Dream" looks like today.
Director
Jessica Kingdon
Producer
Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nathan Truesdell
Distributor
MTV Documentary Films
Production Co
XTR, Mouth Numbing Spicy Crab
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 8, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 15, 2021
Runtime
1h 38m
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