Asche (2024)

Asche

I’ve been seeing over and over again that there’s a lot to Elena Wolff, the young and talented cabaret artist, actress and director. She proved it on screen when she presented her first feature film as a director at the Diagonale 2022 with Para: Dies. Therefore, at the Diagonale 2024 where Asche had its world premiere and won the Prize for Best Cinematography in a Feature Film curiosity was immediately piqued among audiences and critics alike who were not disappointed.

In fact, Elena Wolff has proven in Asche not only her great sensitivity in investigating the human soul but also her boldness in dealing with highly topical issues from an entirely new angle and giving them strong visual appeal through images. But let us take a closer look at what this movie is about.

Three couples, one lonely young man, numerous stories in dynamic Linz. SHE (played by Elena Wolff herself) is an enchanting model and artist who goes by Lulu on stage but nobody knows her real name including boyfriend Simeon (Thomas Schubert always excellent), successful photographer classic alpha male type seems to have no regards for others let alone his partner; Felix loves Anna however it feels like she’s empty inside yearning for different worlds craving new life; Elisa & Emilia are two artists seemingly living happily together until they realise that their two personalities are no longer compatible with each other anymore; Jakob has been deeply in love with Lulu without ever having met her so far will he ever meet her face-to-face?

Patriarchy. Toxic relationships. Deep loneliness within a lively cosmopolitan city. The desire for intense feelings so as finally feel alive. A harsh critique not only of society but also contemporary cultural scene itself. An all-consuming thirst for revenge. Inside nightclubs lights are either too bright to see anybody or too low people cant see themselves. Music never stops clothes change instantly. Bodies beautiful diverse. There’s lotsa coke. A colorful, dazzling, overpowering Asche. Elena Wolff knows exactly what she wants to tell us, and does so through scenes that will stay with us forever.

Not only semantically but also visually from the very beginning Asche is a film which attacks situations established within our society for far too long. And does not hesitate to do this, sometimes with images that can be called gothic or even strongly pulpish and splatterish. Walking through the park at night one may stumble upon a corpse – but it might as well turn out to be an unexpectedly pleasant encounter. With Asche, however, Elena Wolff gave us a true feast for the eyes. Her talent and range make us expect many more such nice treats in future which we of course look forward to discover!

Watch Asche For Free On Gomovies.