MOVIE OF THE WEEK October 8, 2021: ASCENSION

A study in contrasts, director Jessica Kingdon’s observational documentary Ascension (her first feature) is a fascinating look at contemporary China, a country driven by both consumption and service, tradition and innovation. Kingdon’s camera captures a wide swathe of modern Chinese society — from phalanxes of factory workers to nouveau riche executives. Her remarkable level of access supports a fly-on-the-wall filmmaking style that lends itself to a truly intimate cinematic experience.

Kingdon eschews voiceover narration and talking-head interviews, letting her footage speak for itself. Early scenes of workers being recruited to work in massive production plants (where everything from meals to accommodations is provided — but the company can dictate your appearance and behavior) segue into mesmerizing sequences of consumer goods being churned out. Some of it is beautiful, some of it is junk, and some of it is eyebrow-raising. But whether they’re pressing rivets into stacks of blue jeans or painting a sex doll’s areolas the perfect shade of dusty pink, the Chinese workers captured in Ascension approach their tasks with practicality and focus: The work has to be done, and someone has to do it.

The film conveys a sense of contemporary Chinese people knowing — and being satisfied with — their place in the country’s socioeconomic structure. There are opportunities to pursue ambition and “better yourself,” but trainees in bodyguard and butler programs are also clearly reminded that they’re considered lesser than the wealthy employers they’ll eventually serve. There’s no obvious sense of dissatisfaction at this divide; in fact, the only person who specifically voices a desire for more freedom is a rich woman dining in luxury. But is that because people aren’t experiencing those feelings or because they aren’t given the opportunity to speak about them?

So, it’s possible that interviews might have offered a bit more context to the portrait Kingdon has painted in Ascension. But that doesn’t detract from the compelling nature of her vision of the modern “Chinese dream.” Consumption is king, branding is everything, and contributing to the country in whatever way you can (while maybe getting to have a little fun) is the prime directive. — Betsy Bozdech

Team #MOTW’s comments:

Pam Grady: Jessica Kingdon skips the commentary in her documentary feature debut, instead letting her images tell the story as she casts her gaze on China, caught in the grip between tradition and a rapidly changing world. Much of the focus is on work, from streetside recruiters seeking workers to man the factories (and live in dormitories) that manufacture much of the world’s consumer goods to a seminar on monetizing one’s own personal brand to business etiquette brought down to the granular level of how to smile and hug. And who knew that much work went into creating a latex sex doll? Globalization has created a tsunami of change throughout the world and that might go doubly for a country where tradition, hyper-capitalism, social media, and authoritarian politics so freely mix and mingle. It is a sea change Ascension grippingly portrays.

Sandie Angulo Chen: Ascension is filmmaker Jessica Kingdon’s fascinating and provocative observational documentary about life and work in modern-day China. The film captures moments from various jobs, factories, training seminars, and even social media influencers’ living rooms – all pursuing the Chinese Dream, and how that compares to other cultures’ dreams, particularly the legendary American Dream. One memorable sequence takes place in a factory that makes custom sex dolls (all of them White and therefore presumably headed to customers in the West). Another stand-out vignette takes place in a training seminar that teaches prospective butlers how to work for rich employers (the takeaway being that you can curse the boss behind his back but must always appear obedient to his face). Well-crafted and impressive.