ASCENSION
In Development | Drama / Magical Realism
Logline
In a rugged coastal village where survival is measured in nets and grit, a young man is unjustly blamed for a tragic accident at sea; to find meaning in his ostracisation, he turns his gaze toward the sky to embark on a defiant, Sisyphean quest to fly away.
Synopsis
Cal is an anomaly in his village—a quiet, intuitive soul who yearns for the air while his brother, Saul, and the community demand he labour in the mud. He exists on the fringes, moving through the world with a naivety that the locals mistake for weakness.
After a freak accident on the fishing boat leaves him physically scarred and socially scapegoated for a disaster he didn’t cause, Cal’s life shifts. He meets a kindred spirit who shares his fascination with the heavens. Together, they begin the impossible task of building a glider from scraps, challenging the gravity of their harsh reality and the cruelty of a society that fears what it cannot understand.
DIRECTOR’S VISION
“This film is an exploration of the human condition through the lens of the Myth of Sisyphus—the search for meaning within a seemingly meaningless existence and the inherent dignity of the struggle toward the light.” — Ariel Artur
THE PROJECT
Ascension is a feature-length drama rooted in Magical Realism. Drawing stylistic inspiration from the works of Alice Rohrwacher (Happy as Lazzaro, La Chimera) and the spiritual depth of Krzysztof Kieślowski (The Double Life of Veronique), the film’s approach is firmly grounded in Transcendental Cinema.
Visually, the production juxtaposes the tactile, gritty reality of a traditional fishing community with the ethereal, soaring aspirations of the protagonist. It is a fable about the “pure” outsider—the one who refuses to fit in, choosing instead to walk by their own principles, even when the current of the world pulls in the opposite direction.
KEY TEAM
Director/Writer: Ariel Artur
Production Company: Nap of the Earth Films
STATUS
Ascension is currently in the early stages of development and script refinement. For inquiries, please contact Nap of the Earth Films.