Ascension is a 30-minute short movie based on a simple idea: to tell a story staging the storm and actors in real conditions, in a contemplative and poetical atmosphere. In other words, we are going to shoot a fiction outdoors, facing authentic storms and real lightnings.

Storyline: Tanya, a woman who has been scarred by life and lost all her bearings, leaves her city in order to clear her mind. While skimming the pages of a manuscript, she can hear the thunder rumbling in the distance. For the first time over ages, something seems to be calling for her. She then starts her journey, in quest of answers, heading for the storm...

ASCENSION is meant to be a true cinematic proposition, including actors, dialogues and a meaningful plot. As far as we know, no fiction dealing with the storm has ever been shot in real-life footage. This movie will be a first time in the history of cinema: the storm is the main actor and Marika Boëglin (Tanya) gives him the line.

In 2020, we decided to create PRÉLUDE, a hybrid and contemplative prologue, made from videos shot over the last two years, thus offering a first approach of both atmosphere and ambience you will be able to discover in ASCENSION.

Click onto the link below to watch the movie.

My name is Mathieu BROCHIER. I am 27 years old and I have been a filmmaker since 2014. The first thing I was willing to shoot when I was a young teenager was the storm.

In 2008, my mother offered my first video camera and I was able to start editing my first shootings. Since then, the camera and I have never left one another. My particular taste for music has made me launch a career as an independent video maker, beginning with the music events. Then, thanks to my growing passion, I progressively moved to reports, documentaries and fictions.

Simultaneously, my vision of the storm has sorely evolved. At first, I was deeply fond of the phenomenon in itself, but then I focused on lightning for its spectacular aspect. After a few years, I had to part with my video camera and the available video technology (CMOS cameras’ rolling-shutter for those of you who know it) prevented me from going further. At this time, only the photo format allowed me to get satisfying results. As a consequence, I temporarily stopped video shooting for few years before going back over it later.

2018 was the year which has changed everything for me, the brainwave year. This was the moment when I realised it was time for me to go back to my first love, video shooting. I then questioned myself: can I really shoot / stage storms? And the answer was yes. Yes, I can do that but I want to tell a story about them too. I do not only want to film some lightnings in order to confine them in my camera. I have always intended to go further, give pictures a meaning. Here is the story of how the Ascension project, entitled “Cycles” was born.

The “Cycles” project was a prototype at first, some experimental adventure, focused on the storm. However, it did not allow the development of the character chasing it. This character had to have a story to share, some past, questioning and finally a goal to achieve. So, I went back to the writing step and made the character grow up, working on her identity, her reason for being. Tanya took shape and became this lonely woman seeking for answers among these troubled skies. Eventually, the title came like a foregone conclusion: the Ascension project was born.

The team’s heart is also composed of:

Marika Boëglin, main actress
Ludovic Hautevelle, composer and sound engineer
Dorian Lacombe, public relations manager
Andréa Leroy, co-scriptwriter

Today, the ‘Ascension’ project has never been so close of being released. The film’s scenario is being adjusted to get a final version by the beginning of May 2021.

Chasing and shooting storms means working according to the weather and its constraints, then going to the other end of the country, and sometimes it means either coming back with an amazing rush or nothing workable. It also means being ready to leave anytime or accepting to spend several weeks without any unstability indications. Here is the challenge, what makes the shooting unique, exciting, the very essence of the work.

Shooting under outlandish weather conditions necessitates a serious technical crew, motivated and available, reduced to its minimum so that we can optimize the mobility and safety of the film set. We will be ready to work as soon as next summer.

PRÉLUDE has been edited and fully self-produced by a solid team, composed of passionate, professional and inspired people.

When he first read the statement of intent, Ludovic Hautevelle, who is the soundtrack composer, and Marika Boëglin, whose occurrence gives PRÉLUDE its meaning, were both captivated. This work was for them like some kind of evidence and this marvellous team has at heart to go much further and to venture into this ascension.

We have decided to launch this campaign on KissKissBankBank in order to confirm the audience’s interest, your consideration for this project which really matters to us. A successful campaign would be the perfect indicator to make producers willing to go along with the movie until its final accomplishment. Moreover, thanks to your help, we will get the opportunity to establish our cash flow budget and start shooting as soon as summer 2021, preserving ourselves from any delay in the storm season (usually lasting from May to October).

Furthermore, we would be so glad to be able to offer original and interesting rewards that make sense in relation to the film’s spirit and its ambition. For instance, these investment rewards will be unique objects to collect like the vinyl record of the original film’s soundtrack or two paintings by Alex Hermant, paintings inspired from the movie.

Alex Hermant is a legendary storm chaser as well as the author of “Traqueurs d’Orages” (Storm Hunters) and a very talented painter.

Eventually, we sincerely hope that the success of this campaign will encourage professionals, producers and film distributors to follow the project so that it could be achieved in the best possible conditions and its broadcast reach as many spectators as possible.

Therefore, many thanks in advance to all of you who will bring both their moral support and financial help to us.