sgreene-4

Ascension is the kind of film you either love or hate. Those who hate it seem quite passionate and will no doubt defend their reasons to the end, but those who love it will also defend their reasons and be passionate about it. Visionary works of art are often subject to polarized points of view, which in my opinion, is what makes them resonate and have longevity.

Karim Hussain is a bold filmmaker. With this film, he has challenged our views and expectations regarding dialogue, music, lighting, cinematography, and even left some questions unanswered; a rare thing in an age where almost every film feeds us answers by the shovelful...

When you leave the theater, Ascension's images, sounds, and possible hidden meanings will linger in your mind. Even if you feel your cinematic status-quo has been turned inside out, one thing you will not feel is indifference.

Karim Hussain's Ascension has just won Best Film at the Sitges International Film Festival in the Official Competition - Noves Visions Section. The film also earned a nomination for Best Film at the Also if you can Fantasporto International Film Festival in Portugal.

Ascension is the kind of film you either love or hate. Those who hate it seem quite passionate and will no doubt defend their reasons to the end, but those who love it will also defend their reasons and be passionate about it. Visionary works of art are often subject to polarized points of view, which in my opinion, is what makes them resonate and have longevity.

Karim Hussain is a bold filmmaker. With this film, he has challenged our views and expectations regarding dialogue, music, lighting, cinematography, and even left some questions unanswered; a rare thing in an age where almost every film feeds us answers by the shovelful...

When you leave the theater, Ascension's images, sounds, and possible hidden meanings will linger your mind. Even if you feel your cinematic status-quo has been turned inside out, one thing you will not feel is indifference.

Karim Hussain's Ascension has just won Best Film at the Sitges International Film Festival in the Official Competition - Noves Visions Section. The film also earned a nomination for Best Film at the Also if you can Fantasporto International Film Festival in Portugal.

I do not recommend you see this movie if you are not a fan of Andrei Tarkovsky and Stanley Kubrick, or are only into gore and action flicks. I recommend you see this film if you like imaginative camera work, intricate sound design and evocative, memorable music.

The performances by the three leads may at first seem awkward, but paying close attention to the dialogue and interations between the three women will reveal the many layers that comprise their characters.

Kudos to David Kristian for providing a soundtrack reminiscent of the best John Carpenter or Tangerine Dream scores from the late 70s-early 80s, and for adding sound design so deep and disturbing that it might as well have been credited as a fourth lead character.

Hussain's compositions and lighting are also noteworthy, as he eschews the usual darkness and blue hues to instead bathe his characters and locations in pale natural light that becomes even more disturbing.

I was a little confused by the film's ending, but this is the kind of film you should own and have playing in the background as an atmosphere piece, slowly soaking it in over several years until you get every bit of its clever subtext.