Ascending
Ascending
Isip, S.M. (2019). Ascending. Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication.
A Figure finds itself in a vast darkness, alone, when suddenly people with blurry faces appear next to it. They start performing a weird set of actions, and Figure cannot help but follow along. Soon, it finds itself becoming fatigued and panics, unable to keep up with the people it has found itself between.
The film is an attempt to look at psychological concepts of loneliness through the lens of Marxist ideas on competition. Loneliness, an emotional response to isolation that is innate in every human being, can be caused by both characterological or situational factors. Marxist criticism notes how within capitalism’s production-based system, individuals must overly exert themselves to keep up and compete with their peers, leading to conditions such as burnout. Using this competition as a situational factor, the film argues that the competitive and individualistic nature of today’s work culture, especially among the youth, can cause individuals to feel separated from their peers. >