An inter-dimensional fever dream about DMT and the margins of human perception. Ian Clark’s “Animal in Ascension” is a psychedelic documentary that follows a young man as he shares his thoughts and reflections on life while we also observe his day-to-day living in Miami. Julian, our subject, invites us into his world. Both under the influence and not, we observe his ventures through the Miami jungle to waterfronts, moments with him and his two dogs, and late night excursions along the city sidewalks to strip-mall casinos. Most peculiar to the verbal anecdotes that Julian shares, however, are the bursts of VFX spectacle that Clark twines throughout the film. Despite what might seem to be Julian’s farfetched or bizarre experiences with perception and human spirituality, Clark’s apt use of kaleidoscopic images and an acute sound design make these anecdotal experiences all the more comprehensible. -JM. Director, Cinematographer, Producer, VFX: Ian Clark. Subject/Cast: Julian Yuri Rodriguez. Editor: Nico Toll. Sound Mix: Chip Sloan. Sound Recordist: Christopher Lopez. Music: Eleh.