Ascendancy

United Kingdom, 1982

Film
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Ireland 1920. Rebellion against British rule is gathering force. Belfast is ominously quiet. Safe inside her fathers mansion, Connie (Julie Covington), is protected from the world. Her father manages the shipyard responsible for the family fortune while she is treated for a severely paralysed arm, an hysterical ailment connected to her brothers’ death during the Great War. Connie, oblivious to the looming crisis wanders dreamily around her brother’s room while the city erupts in bitter rioting. Even the household is affected when Connie’s maid, a Catholic, is driven out by the Protestant servants. British troops arrive and some of the officers are invited to a tea-party where Connie meets young Lieutenant Ryder (Ian Charleson) who has a profound effect upon her, shattering her fantasies of war and forcing her to confront its terrible reality. Co-starring John Phillips and Susan Engel. FilmFest Berlin 1983 Golden Bear-Best Film.

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Credits

director

Edward Bennett

co-producer

Ian Elsey

Penny Clark

production company

British Film Institute

Duration

01:25:00:00

Production places
United Kingdom
Production dates
1982

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If you would like to cite this item, please use the following template: {{cite web |url=https://acmi.net.au/works/84780--ascendancy/ |title=Ascendancy |author=Australian Centre for the Moving Image |access-date=21 May 2025 |publisher=Australian Centre for the Moving Image}}