Moirai Director Parker Schmidt Releases Short Documentary ‘Ascension’ Featuring Emi Matushsima

MOIRAI director, Parker Schmidt releases his short experimental documentary ‘Ascension’. An outdoor climbing tale featuring Emi Matushsima and her lifelong story of discovering her place in the world.

‘Ascension’ ties in the plight of individuals raised by various cultures who often wonder where they get to call “home.” Told by Emi, she delves into her past life living among a multitude of cultures, primarily across Japan, where she unravels the expectations of those born and raised there to behave and appear in a certain way.

Emi Matsushima, a Japanese/German climber who, after living amongst a plethora of cultures growing up and feeling the need to fit into a box she never felt a part of, developed a severe eating disorder caused by these critical cultural expectations. In an attempt to find herself, she ventured around the world solo until she came across the warmly welcoming community of outdoor climbers who welcomed her how she was always meant to be.

Parker approaches the film by elevating the emotions that we’re consuming Emi through her exploration of finding her people, and it’s the ultimate upheaval where she discovers them among unlikely characters. Captured by director of photography Alex Fauver, who teamed up with Parker to shoot across seven complete days of filming. Alex brought an intentional and intimate visual language to a medium that typically calls for run-and-gun filming considering the far-to-reach-places and harsh conditions of outdoor filming typically calls for.

‘Ascension’ speaks to those who’ve never felt like they’ve found their place in the world - from where they live or who they surround themselves with. It’s a tale of the implications that outside pressures can take on one’s psyche and how, as long as you have the courage to take matters into your own hands, you’re more than capable of either going the distance to find your place in the world or make it yourself.