Ascension

This is a visually stunning documentary about the ideology used in China to acquire acquiescence from the lower class workers in the factories, restaurants, resorts, etc who are sold a dream of one day being able to join the elite classes if they work hard enough. Almost mesmerizing with its cinematography, akin to the dreams of consumerism and the narratives of wealth that are being sold to the underclass workers, the film nicely illustrates the Chinese economy of the present: the same old drudgery and toil simply with a bright and shiny demeanor. I very much enjoyed the first time director's attention to detail and storytelling style and I'm excited to see the films that follow.

Ascension - 2021 (Documentary) 2.5 out of 5 stars

What does a rave at a water park, flyboarding, lipstick advertised by the military, a job you get to sit at, and life-sized "dolls" have to do with each other? That's what I'm left wondering after watching the Oscar-nominated documentary "Ascension."

The plot synopsis reads, "The film follows the Chinese dream through the social classes, prioritizing productivity and innovation." that may sound a bit harsh, but I didn't dislike the film for what it's worth. It was a unique look at a world that I had never seen like this before. I had my eyes opened at just how different countries handle capitalism. China is still one of the largest industrialized nations in the world, and this dives into how that title is held.

The most interesting aspect for me was the "How It's Made" style, many scenes simply just showing workers laboring away at their posts. Watching repetitive tasks being done for hours on end was pretty intense. I know that there are assembly-line jobs in the US, but this seemed different. I take for granted some of the things that I just think a machine makes. I'm sure some of the tasks could be automated, but why bother with that when you can pay slave wages to humans. My apologies if that was stern, but so many jobs like this are overlooked and considered "unimportant," that is, until someone is no longer willing to do them.

Capitalism is a terrible thing when it's left unchecked; I don't think this was the entire purpose of this film, but it is one of the things that I took from it. There was an interesting subplot to the film that showed the ranking system in China, just how different two people's lives can be all because of their "social class." I don't pretend to fully understand their society, their prioritizing of industry, or how life works, but this was a look into that world that I hadn't seen before.

Where to watch: Paramount +

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Documentary nominated for the Oscar 2022 directed by Jessica Kingdon, an American of Chinese origin.

The film differs from many recent documentaries in that it doesn't have those interviews with people sitting there looking at the camera, nor does it have a narrator to drive the story. The director's camera only observes, sometimes from afar, sometimes up close, the daily lives of workers in the poignant Chinese economy.

In the name of productivity, anything goes, especially the exploitation of workers. It is almost incomprehensible to me to see a recruitment of workers by major Chinese industries stating that the work can be done sitting down or that no health examination is required to enter. Others shout that the work is done 100% standing, demand maximum height of the worker, that workers will sleep in rooms with up to eight people in the same room, or hear that whoever decides if the duration the worker worked that day is their boss.

Perhaps because of her origins, in the end, the director tries to glamorize the toughness she showed, putting on the screen moments of relaxation of hundreds of Chinese in a water park, as if she wanted to convey the message: "work without limits pays".

As there are almost no lines, and when there are, they are dialogues between the workers, with long scenes, the documentary gets monotonous from the middle.

Anyway, it was valid to know the reality of Chinese workers.

A visually hypnotic documentary that observes the relentless monotony of the enormous Chinese machine. You get a real sense of the plague of absolute capitalism that is driving that machine -- to what is already global domination and will eventually, decades from now, lead to a desperate collapse, similar to the one America is having right now.

One of the most shocking and poignant documentaries I've ever seen. The insanity that humans create by simply never being satisfied. A massive nation whose whole drive is to be more driven and successful even if it means sacrificing there life to get what they think they want. A truly astonishing film that I recommend everyone watch.